Where Talent Went To School
by Theralion
Summary: Before the Tragedy and before the killing games, the students of Talent High School lived and went to school just like all the other young people their age. A spinoff of Where Talent Goes To Die
1. Picture Perfect

**Where Talent Went To School**

* * *

 **Picture Perfect**

As my alarm clock rang, I woke up and went about my morning routine, but had to stop myself when the time came for me to get dressed. This time, instead of putting on my old high school's uniform, I had to wear the girls' uniform of my new one, since I'd been issued my uniform the previous day. The two uniforms were remarkably similar, and the process of buttoning up my shirt, tucking it into my skirt, tying my necktie and putting on my blazer was a familiar routine for me.

As I looked myself over, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride- regardless of why I was chosen or whether I deserved it, I was now officially a student of the thirty-third class of Talent High School, one of Japan's most prestigious and exclusive schools. It had been months since my interview and formal acceptance, and several days since I'd first arrived on campus, but now, I finally looked like a Talent High School student.

My name is **Kaori Miura** , and I'm known as the **Ultimate Beginner's Luck.** By now, you may have heard about my time in the Talent High School killing school life, but I wonder if you've heard about my days as a student at the school. For a year, I was a student at Talent High School who did everything young people often do in high school- attending classes, making friends and falling in love- unaware of the omens of disaster until it was too late for anyone to stop them.

There were many times during the killing game when I, bereft of my memories, wondered how things might be different if I had my memories. Would I think of my fellow classmates differently? Might I have been aware of some clue to determining the mastermind's identity? Had I known how and why the school had been sealed? The answers to these questions eluded me, but maybe other insights could be gleaned from my memories of my school days.

* * *

After getting dressed, I went to the dining hall. I walked at a leisurely pace, knowing that it wasn't far away. My parents had made sure to teach me the value of leaving enough time for one's morning routine, so I'd never ended up having to dash to school, possibly with a piece of toast in my mouth.

When I arrived, some of my classmates were there already, having already sat down to eat. I'd spoken to most of them at least a few times, at least the ones who were willing to talk with me, and had learned a little about each of them, even if we weren't quite friends yet. Of course, some of us had already started to befriend each other, while others remained lone wolves.

I saw **Reiko Mitamura** , the **Ultimate Proofreader** , helping **Momo Iwasawa** , the **Ultimate Farm Hand** , with her necktie. Iwasawa-san wasn't necessarily a sloppy dresser, but she was more used to the simple and practical outfit of a button down shirt and overalls that she wore on the farm, and to the one-room schoolhouse where she'd went to school before coming here.

"Thank you very much, Miss Mita- I mean, Mitamura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "I'll try to learn it as quickly as possible."

"I am sure you will learn how very soon," Mitamura-san said, "since the school expects you to wear it every day, and you will have no shortage of practice. Until you do, however, I will be more than happy to help you."

"I'll let you know if I need help," Iwasawa-san said. "Did you have to wear a uniform like this, too?"

"Not exactly," Mitamura-san said, "since as you may recall, I wore a sailor fuku with a red neckerchief at the academy I attended. Still, I was expected to wear my uniform well as a student of that school, so I intend to do the same here. No matter where you came from before, you're one of us now, and have all the rights and responsibilities that entails. Do you understand that, Iwasawa-san?"

Iwasawa-san nodded. Virtually everything about going to school here- both the fun parts and the hard parts- was a new experience for her, so she had a certain amount of childlike wonder.

"Yes, ma'am!" Iwasawa-san said enthusiastically.

Iwasawa-san had told me a little about her village, so I had to wonder how she'd fare at a school like this. If nothing else, though, she was willing to learn, and had nothing but respect and gratitude toward those willing to teach her. Maybe those weren't enough for her to get by, but they were what was most important, so for now, I was optimistic.

After getting my breakfast from the kitchen, I headed back to the dining room and looked for a seat. I saw **Yusuke Tezuka,** the **Ultimate Abstract Artist** , sitting with **Shinichi Inoue** , the **Ultimate Linguist** at a small table.

"So we finally get a uniform," Tezuka-kun said. "I was kinda worried about what sort of this school this is, but at least they have the uniform part covered."

"You don't sound entirely happy, Tezuka-kun," Inoue-kun said.

"I'm not," Tezuka-kun said. "A part of me was hoping that we wouldn't have to wear a uniform around here."

"Just two more years," Inoue-kun said, holding up his right index and middle finger said. "Once you graduate, you can go on to the best art schools in the country, which will be a lot more lenient when it comes to the dress code."

Back then, I didn't know that we'd only complete _one_ of those two years before our lives went irrevocably off course. From what I heard, the members of the 32nd class had even gone to the trouble of taking college entrance exams for schools that they'd never get to attend, a particularly cruel betrayal of their hopes. But since I wasn't aware of what would happen in the future, the possibility never occurred to me.

 **Shiro Kurogane** , the **Ultimate Shogi Player,** came in, and, on his way to the kitchen, curtly nodded as I said "Good morning, Kurogane-kun." He hadn't forgiven me for defeating him in a shogi match, but this was an improvement. If nothing else, he'd come to accept that we'd be schoolmates, like it or not, and a bit of civility would help matters.

 **Komaki Katsura,** the **Ultimate Saleswoman** , and **Kuro Akasaka,** the **Ultimate Checkers Player** , sat together at a small table, having just started to eat.

"You look quite nice, Akasaka-san," Katsura-san said, "although I do miss your black shirt- you wore it fairly well."

"Thank you Katsura-san," Akasaka-san said. "Unfortunately, this school doesn't have the same loophole that my old one did. That school only required a 'colorless' button-down shirt with the uniform, and black isn't a color. My senpai was the one who told me about it"

"Ah, I forget that sometimes," Katsura-san said.

"Besides," Akasaka-san said, "I think black and red go best together, as two opposites- one bright and vibrant, the other dark and somber. White's supposed to be black's opposite, but it's a bit too pale and lifeless, so I'm not as fond of it."

I sat by myself at a small table as other students filed in- **Minato Mizuhara** , the **Ultimate Fisherman** ; **Sora Hoshino,** the **Ultimate Astronomer;** **Anzu Sugiura,** the **Ultimate Waitress;** and **Sousuke Kagami,** who refused to discuss his talent. Those four students hadn't hit it off particularly well with anyone at this point, but to my surprise, I saw Sugiura-san sit down across from Mizuhara-kun and start a friendly conversation with him.

Eventually, **Sae Edogawa** , the **Ultimate Mystery Novelist** and my favorite author alive, got her meal from the kitchen and sat down at the same table with me.

"Good morning, Miura-san," Edogawa-san said.

"Good morning, Sensei," I said. "I mean, Edogawa-san."

Edogawa-san laughed.

"Good catch," Edogawa-san said. "We wouldn't want anyone mistaking me for a teacher, would we?'

"I guess not," I said. "But does anyone here happen to have the same name as, much less be related to, one of the faculty?"

Edogawa-san nodded.

"Apparently, there's a girl a year above with the same name as our teacher," Edogawa said. "I don't know for certain, but I think Nagato-senpai is Nagato-sensei's daughter."

"You don't know?" I said.

"Sensei hasn't said anything," Edogawa-san said, "and even if Nagato-senpai is her daughter, she treats Nagato-sensei with the same respect that any other student owes her. It's apparently not entirely uncommon for relatives of faculty members to become students at this school."

I was a bit thankful that none of my relatives were connected to Talent High School- in fact, those in my grandparents' generation who were still alive had barely heard about it. It would likely get fairly awkward keeping things professional with a family member while at school.

"Well, I'm not one of them," I said. "I suppose that's a good thing, right?"

"You could say that," Edogawa-san said. "Like I said earlier, Miura-san, you earned your place in this school. Never forget that."

Lastly, three of our more athletic classmates- **Akito Sakuragi** , the **Ultimate Sprinter** ; **Daichi Fukuda** , the **Ultimate Rock Climber** ; and **Ami Yuuki,** the **Ultimate Cheerleader** \- arrived. Just as they seemed more at home on a track, climbing a mountain or at a football game than they did in a classroom, they seemed more comfortable in their practical exercise clothing than they did in a school uniform.

"I am glad the three of you could join us," Mitamura-san said, "but you may want to eat quickly, since there is not much time until class begins."

"Gotcha, Reiko-chan," Yuuki-san said. "I know I'm not the greatest student, but showing up on time is something even someone like me can handle, isn't it?"

As Yuuki-san went to get her food, Mitamura-san looked to be at a loss for words.

"Is something the matter, Mitamura-san?" I said.

"You could say that," Mitamura-san said. "From the moment I was accepted here, I made it my goal to become the top student in my class, just as I was at my former school. I can hardly fathom that at an institution this prestigious, there are those who would be satisfied with merely showing up."

"Aren't you glad?" Hoshino-kun said. "If class rankings are like a race and your goal is to get first place, then everyone else on the track is your enemy. I'd think Sakuragi would be happy if the last few guys on the track pretty much walked most of the way."

"It wouldn't be any fun that way, Hoshino," Sakuragi-kun said as he came out of the kitchen with his breakfast. "If I know that I'll get overtaken if I let up, I can try my best and make my 'best' even better."

"Exactly, Sakuragi-san," Mitamura-san said. "Not only will knowing that the rest of you are excelling in your studies put me at ease, but it will also encourage me to try that much harder."

"You have a good point," I said, "but while being driven to improve yourself is a good thing, I think a lot of people know that they aren't going to win no matter how hard they try. To them, it may not be about slacking off as much as keeping their expectations realistic and focusing on what they're good at. Surely you've had times when you got matched against someone much better than you, haven't you?"

Mitamura-san sighed and nodded solemnly, making me wonder if I'd forced her to think about something unpleasant.

"I have, Miura-san," Mitamura-san said. "In an actual foot race, while I try to stay fit, I would stand no chance against Sakuragi-san- or Yuuki-san, if the event were girls-only. A part of me finds that- my weakness, my imperfection- difficult to accept, but I know what path I must take- reaching the top of the class and becoming worthy of the name Ultimate Proofreader- so I know what I must do."

We stopped our discussion right there so that people could eat and get to class on time, but I had a lot to think about. Everyone here had a goal that they could strive towards, but for me, the only options available were what I had to "settle for" in order to make a living now that my goal of becoming a writer was most likely unattainable.

* * *

Once we were in our homeroom classroom on the first floor, woman in her mid-thirties, with brown hair in a neat bob haircut and wearing a dark pinstriped skirt suit, walked in. Her name was Yukari Nagato, and she was our homeroom teacher.

"Good morning everyone," Nagato-sensei said. "I'm glad to see you're all dressed in your Talent High School uniforms, because we're going to take your pictures today. Please assemble near the blackboard."

We formed two rows, with half of us sitting in chairs and half of us standing behind the others. The seated students, from left to right, were Fukuda-kun, Sugiura-san, Hoshino-kun, Edogawa-san, myself, Kagami-kun, Akasaka-san, and Kurogane-kun. The students standing, from left to right, were Yuuki-san, Mizuhara-kun, Katsura-san, Mitamura-san, Iwasawa-san, Inoue-kun, Tezuka-kun, and Sakuragi-kun.

"Is everyone ready?" Nagato-sensei said as she took out a digital camera. "Please excuse me if it takes me a few shots to get this right- my daughter was the one who taught me about how to use a digital camera, after all."

Nagato-sensei took several shots of us for the photo, standing for some and crouching for others. Maybe she had a bit of trouble with how to use a digital camera's features, but she seemed to have a relatively decent grasp of photography for an amateur.

"All set," Nagato-sensei said. "Mitamura-san, could you please check my work? The rest of you, please stay put in case we have to take another."

"Yes, ma'am," Mitamura-san said.

Mitamura-san walked behind the students to her right, then checked the photo. Maybe inspecting photographs wasn't strictly part of Mitamura-san's Ultimate Proofreader talent, but as our class representative, and the student Nagato-sensei hoped would become our student council president, she was probably the most reliable person Nagato-sensei had in her class.

"I think this one would work best, sensei," Mitamura-san said, "but any of them would make for a serviceable photo."

"That's good to hear," Nagato-sensei said. "The headmistress will have to approve the photo, but I think she will agree with your choice."

Mitamura-san smiled gratefully. Perhaps even a matter like this was too important to leave solely in a student's hands, but she clearly was glad that her input was valued.

"For now, though, I would like everyone to take a look at this photo," Nagato-sensei said. "Talent High School alumni go on to a variety of careers, working for some of Japan's most prestigious employers or starting their own organizations. No matter where you go or what you do with your life, this will prove that once, the sixteen of you were all students in the same class."

The photo was eventually printed out, framed, and put up in the gallery. At the time, it seemed like nothing more than an ordinary ritual for a new class of students, but once the killing game began and classmates began murdering each other, it served as a bittersweet remind that we'd once been a class. This is the story of our class, and the time we shared together at the same school.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

This is a collection of short stories set while the main cast attended Talent High School, essentially Where Talent Goes To Die's equivalent of Side:Despair. There won't be a specific order to the stories, and each one will come with a warning revealing what it spoils from the main fic. This doesn't really spoil anything; it simply sets the tone for the series, shows when the class photo was taken, and shows the characters getting used to their new school.

You may eventually see more about the students' upperclassmen, who were in their final year of high school when the cast of Where Talent Goes To Die were in the equivalent of their second year. As for what happened to those students... that's a secret for now.


	2. A Very Talented Christmas

**A Very Talented Christmas**

The Christmas of my first year at Talent High School was no ordinary one. While depressing stories were all too common in the news, this holiday season seemed bleaker than ever as the world continued to slide into despair. We didn't understand what was happening until it was too late, and even if we had, we most likely couldn't have done anything to stop it.

At the time, we were simple high school students, imagining that the growing turmoil had nothing to do with us, even though the genesis for the Tragedy had been in Hope's Peak Academy. We looked forward to the holidays, not realizing that the next time they came around, the world would be irrevocably changed. I was no different, since for me, this Christmas had a very special significance.

* * *

Immediately after school let out on Christmas Eve, our class threw a party in our class, on the first floor of the school. Despite Talent High School's reputation, it was a modest affair, with cake, juice and a few holiday-themed decorations. Nagato-sensei even wore a red Santa hat, but pointed out that the fact that her skirt suit matched her hat was nothing more than a coincidence.

Out of consideration for Mizuhara-kun, there were absolutely no nuts whatsoever in the food that was served. Since he knew better than anyone how severe his allergies were, that tidbit about himself was one of the first things he'd told us, after his name and his talent.

I found Mizuhara-kun standing with Katsura-san, off to the side, clearly not enjoying himself as much as he should be.

"Is something on your mind, Mizuhara-kun?" I said.

"Not much, Miura-san," Mizuhara-kun said. "I do feel a bit guilty that you all have to bend over backwards to accommodate me."

"Please don't," Katsura-san said. "Since it's a question of your health and safety, your needs outweigh all of ours."

"She's right," I said. "Besides, it wouldn't be a very good party if we had to exclude you due to something you had no control over."

"I appreciate it," Mizuhara-kun said. "Of course, it's a bit of an adjustment to have people be so considerate of me."

"Well, I guess the only thing you can do is show the same consideration to anyone else who needs it," I said. "After all, the Golden Rule says that you should treat others _the same way you want to be treated."_

Mizuhara-kun nodded.

"That makes sense," Mizuhara-kun said. "I guess no one here wants to eat something that would get them sick- or worse- but they don't want to be left out, either, right?"

"Exactly," Katsura-san said. "Nagato-sensei put on this event for our entire class, including you."

"I understand," Mizuhara-kun said. "Thanks, you two."

Satisfied that Mizuhara-kun was doing better, I rejoined the others, and saw Mitamura-san standing with Yuuki-san- or rather, Ami-chan.

"Hi, Mitamura-san, Ami-chan," I said.

"Hey, Kaori-chan," Ami-chan said.

"Merry Christmas, Miura-san," Mitamura-san said. "By the way, I did not know that you called Yuuki-san by her given name- I thought Edogawa-san was the only one with whom you were that close."

I was a bit surprised that Mitamura-san was surprised, since it was clear she was quite far out of the loop. Not only did I call Sae and Ami-chan by their first names, but I also did the same for **Sayuri Sasaki** , the **Ultimate Manga Artist** , albeit using "-san" out of respect for Sayuri-san being older.

"Yeah, Kaori-chan's been doing it for a couple weeks," Ami-chan said. "I'm really glad, since it feels like we've gotten a lot closer, even if she's not as close as she is to Sae-chan."

"Well, Sae's.… special," I said, "but I'm glad to call you one of my closest friends here."

"Me too, Kaori-chan," Ami-chan said. "I'm really happy, too."

Mitamura-san nodded. While she was a serious person by nature, something seemed a bit forced about this gesture, and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd offended her.

"I'm sorry, Mitamura-san," I said. "I didn't mean to snub you."

"Me neither, Reiko-chan," Ami-chan said. "I think of you as a friend, too, honest."

"There is no need to apologize, Miura-san, Yuuki-san," Mitamura-san said. "For the sake of my duties here, I must keep a certain distance from you all. I can understand if you would be closer with others who more easily confide in you."

"That's... kinda rough," Ami-chan said.

"Your concern is touching, but ultimately misplaced," Mitamura-san said. "While I am expected to serve as a leader and do my utmost for those in my community, I also derive great fulfillment from it. I could not have achieved what I did without making sacrifices, but I believe those sacrifices were well made."

Mitamura-san then softly smiled.

"Still," Mitamura-san said, "despite our differences, Yuuki-san, I am flattered that you would think of me as a friend. Perhaps I cannot fully reciprocate the sentiment, but I do appreciate it."

"Gotcha," Ami-chan said. "All I can say is- you're welcome, Reiko-chan."

I nodded to concur. Ami-chan and Mitamura-san were polar opposites in almost every regard, so I could hardly imagine them getting along. Not only had they managed that, but they were as close to being friends as Mitamura-san's personality would allow, so perhaps it wasn't unreasonable to expect that someday, they'd be actual friends.

After splitting off from the two girls, I saw Sakuragi-kun, standing with Fukuda-kun. The two boys seemed to be surveying the classroom, seeing who was spending time with whom. By this point, apart from the two of them, as well as Inoue-kun and Tezuka-kun most of us had started talking with people we hadn't usually spent with- I saw Sae chatting with Akasaka-san, Kurogane-kun talking with Sugiura-san, Hoshino-kun chatting with Iwasawa-san, and Kagami-kun off by himself.

"Hey, Miura," Sakuragi-kun said. "Did any of the girls here actually manage to get Christmas dates?"

"A couple," I said. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering if anyone here got lucky, if you know what I mean," Sakuragi-kun said. "All the girls I talk to seem more interested in furthering their talents than any romance."

"And you aren't?" Fukuda-kun said. "I don't see you taking any time out of your busy practice schedule to try to woo any of the girls, since I spend most of that time with you."

Sakuragi-kun smiled wryly. I'd heard about his desire for a girlfriend before, as well as his lack of success. While it wasn't fair to assume he wasn't serious about it, like Fukuda-kun said, he hadn't put nearly the same level of effort into it as he had into running, or even his schoolwork. He wasn't necessarily lazy, as much as his teachers thought otherwise, but he knew where his priorities lay.

"Good point, Fukuda," Sakuragi-kun said. "You're right- I do want to make the most of my youth, but there's a part of me that would also like to settle down with a nice girl. I was just curious about Miura, since she seems like she'd gotten lucky."

"I'll... tell you if I do." I said.

"You heard her, Sakuragi," Fukuda-kun said. "I guess she's not ready to talk about it."

"Right," Sakuragi-kun said. "I guess that if I got a girlfriend, I wouldn't be yelling from the rooftops, so I get why you wouldn't be completely open about having one, either."

I nodded appreciatively.

"I know," I said. "Thank you both; I appreciate your being so understanding."

While my gratitude was sincere, I couldn't help but wonder whether Sakuragi-kun's choice of words were deliberate. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and had a tendency to put his feet in his mouth from time to time, but perhaps he knew more than he let on, even if he hadn't intended to admit it.

Moments later, I heard Nagato-sensei clap her hands.

"May I have your attention, please?" Nagato-sensei said. "I must leave fairly soon, since I have an evening church service to attending. I'll leave you all to have fun here- just clean up after yourselves, all right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Mitamura-san said.

"It looks like that's my cue, too," Iwasawa-san said. "I'll go get changed."

Nagato-sensei and Iwasawa-san left, and after a few moments, Sae did, too. Knowing the time had come, I bid farewell to the others and returned to the dorms.

* * *

As I returned to the dorms I saw Iwasawa-san leaving her room, wearing a long-sleeved red dress and carrying her belongings in a nice purse. Whille her outfit was far from black-tie level, it was conservative, tasteful and probably the best-dressed I'd seen her out of her uniform.

"Good evening, Miura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "I'm sorry I don't have time to talk; I'm on my way out."

"Are you heading to church?" I said.

"That's right," Iwasawa-san said. "Nagato-senpai invited me to come with her."

"Ah," I said. "She's Catholic, isn't she?"

Iwasawa-san nodded, picking up on the subtext I'd unwittingly given. While I still didn't know what denomination of Christianity Iwasawa-san followed, the tenets seemed to be more Protestant than the Catholic faith that Nagato-senpai had been born into.

"She is," Iwasawa-san said, "but she also believes that what unites us is more important than what divides us. She was quite glad to meet a kohai who shares her faith, but she also doesn't judge those of us who don't share it.

"That's quite commendable," I said.

Shortly aftewrard, both the Nagatos I knew- my senpai and my teacher- came to pick up Iwasawa-san, and she left with them. As they departed, I waved goodbye and wished the three of them a Merry Christmas.

Not long afterward, I saw Kagami-kun leave the party and return to his room. Considering that he hadn't spoken with anyone the entire time I was there, I wondered why he'd stuck around longer than I had.

"Good evening, Miura-san," Kagami-kun said.

"Good evening, Kagami-kun," I said. "You're leaving early, too, aren't you?"

"Perhaps," Kagami-kun said, "since events like this aren't my cup of tea. I can't speak for anyone else, but I suspect my reasons are different from Iwasawa-san's, yours... and Edogawa-san's."

I paused for a moment. While it was possible that Sakuragi-kun had simply chosen his words poorly, Kagami-kun's mention of Sae's name was too deliberate and too calculated to be anything less than an intentional drop of a hint.

"Do you... know about us?" I said.

"I'm pretty sure everyone does," Kagami-kun said. "It's not as though I've talked to everyone here, but if I've learned about it, I don't think there are too many here who haven't."

It wasn't hard to see what Kagami-kun was talking about. One time, I'd drawn a diagram of all sixteen people in my class, drawing lines between each of the people who had a somewhat close relationship, whether as friends or possibly something more than that (for example, Sae and I)- Kagami-kun was one of the few people who didn't have a line connecting him to anyone. However, when I added a second set of lines, showing the people who talked with each other on a regular basis (for example, Mitamura-san and I weren't quite friends, but we did talk somewhat often), I noticed that any two given individuals in this class had, at most, three degrees of separation, even without counting Sae and I. Because of that, any rumors would spread like wildfire, assuming everyone hadn't picked up on the rumor at the exact same time, so I had no reason to doubt what Kagami-kun had said.

"I see," I said. "Well, if you know that much, then I suspect you also understand that Sae and I aren't quite ready to talk about it openly, and we'll decide when we are."

"Got it," Kagami-kun said. "Merry Christmas, Miura-san, and I hope you have a nice evening, too."

"Merry Christmas, Kagami-kun," I said.

As Kagami-kun retired to his room, and I returned to mine.

* * *

I sat in my room for a few minutes, since I'd agreed to have Sae over. Before long, Sae knocked on the door, and I immediately opened it to let her in.

"Merry Christmas, Kaori," Sae said. "I suppose it's time for our 'private after-party' to begin, isn't it?"

"It definitely is," I said. "Come on in and make yourself at home."

I ushered her inside and shut the door behind me. As soon as Sae entered, I noticed she was holding her hands together behind her back, a bit like if she'd been arrested and handcuffed, and I could tell that she was hiding something. Moments later, Sae produced a red hand-knitted scarf from behind her back.

"Here's your present," Sae said. "I hope your expectations aren't too high; I only started learning how to knit the scarf a month or so ago."

"It's fine, thank you," I said. "If anything, you're probably better at making one than I am, since I started even more recently. Here, have a look."

I then got out my present, which also happened to be a scarf.

"It looks like we were thinking the same thought," Sae said.

"It seems that way," I said. "I was looking for something that would be within my ability to make, wouldn't cost too much and wouldn't require skills I don't possess. As they say, the thought counts, right?"

"It certainly does," Sae said. "I was thinking about writing a love poem, but I was never any good at poetry. The few attempts I have are either exceptionally corny, don't follow the basic rules of poetry, or both."

"Now you've got me curious," I said. "I actually would like to see them some time."

Sae and I shared a laugh, but after a while, Sae's expression turned concerned, likely matching mine.

"'Is something on your mind, Kaori?" Sae said.

"There's something I think you should know, Sae," I said. "According to Kagami-kun, everyone else in our class knows that we're going out with each other."

"But they haven't said or done anything with that knowledge just yet?" Sae said.

"Not that I know of," I said. "Sakuragi-kun and Fukuda-kun dropped some hints earlier, and Kagami-kun told me straight out that everyone else probably knew, but I don't think they're talking about it openly."

"That's a relief," Sae said. "I suppose that means that they've accepted our relationship, or at least as much as we could expect them to. If nothing else, I can live with the status quo."

I nodded. There were many things we were afraid of- our families or friends disapproving, possible backlash against us, or Sae perhaps losing readers- but not having to confront them for now was a relief. Of course, in hindsight, I would have chosen being disowned over witnessing the collapse of civilization itself, and the deaths of billions of people.

"On a somewhat related topic, Sae, I'm curious about something," I said. "How are things going with your sister and her boyfriend?"

"Fairly well," Sae said. "Father still disapproves of their going out and would prefer that they break up, but my sister doesn't take it too hard, even if her boyfriend is not entirely keen on visiting our home."

"I see," I said. "I guess we're not the only ones who have to deal with opposition to a relationship."

Sae nodded, having heard about how my paternal grandmother had disapproved of her daughter-in-law, my mother, before. Apparently, her father had similar difficulties with his father-in-law when he sought his blessing... and then came to understand the older man's perspective when his elder daughter started dating.

"True," Sae said. "There are times when my sister wishes that our father and her boyfriend would get along, but in the end, she says that being in a relationship makes her happy."

"I'm glad, too," I said. "There may be many people out there who don't approve of us, but right now, no one can see, much less complain about what we do."

I leaned in and kissed Sae on the lips, and as I did, she passionately embraced me. As for the rest... well, the most I'll say is that we kept our clothes on. Perhaps our classmates had some idea what we were doing at this moment, but a moment like this was meant to belong to the two of us, and no one else. Neither of us knew where the future would take us, but for now, we cherished our time together, and hoped we could spend Christmas together next year.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

I trimmed down this idea from its original size, which originally contained the days leading up to Christmas.

This side story reveals that Kaori and Sae were, in fact, in a relationship during their time at Talent High School (before having their memories erased), and the reason why the mastermind didn't put Kaori's sexuality in her weakness notepad was out of a (largely justified) belief that everyone already knew about it.


	3. The Last Student Council

**The Last Student Council**

At lunch one day in the middle of May, Mitamura-san invited me to sit with her. Once I got my food and joined her at the small table, I saw that Iwasawa-san and Katsura-san were already there.

"Thank you for coming, Miura-san," Mitamura-san said. "I trust you have heard about my candidacy for student council president, have you not?"

"I have, Mitamura-san," I said. "I wish you the best of luck, even though you aren't running against anyone."

"I am grateful for your kind words," Mitamura-san said, "but this conversation is about _you_. If I am elected, I would like you to join the student council."

I paused to think for a moment. On the one hand, neither my talent nor my grades were outstanding enough that the student council would beat down my doors to recruit me. On the other hand, not only would it be rude to reject the offer out of hand, but I also had to admit that I was curious about why the student council had approached me.

"I'm open to the idea," I said, "but I'd like to know a little more first about why you want me to join and what you want me to do."

"To be honest, we are somewhat shorthanded," Mitamura-san said, "and only the four of us at the table comprise the student council- assuming you join, of course. Iwasawa-san will serve as a secretary, while Katsura-san will double as the treasurer and public relations officer. Should you join, I would like you to be vice-president."

I thought for a moment about why the other two had been chosen. The articulate and responsible Katsura-san seemed like a good fit for public relations, but I suspected that Iwasawa-san had mainly been chosen because she was willing to help. Iwasawa-san was well-mannered, hard-working and willing to learn, but she had no experience in student government and struggled with experience. I probably wasn't Mitamura-san's first choice, but for some reason, she'd made me her right-hand woman.

"Vice president?!" I said, somewhat startled. "I'm glad you trust me, but that's quite a repsonsibility. Are you sure I'm the best person for the job?"

"If anyone is better suited, they have not come forward," Mitamura-san said. "I appreciate that you understand the gravity of your responsibility, but while the student council's duties must be taken seriously, the organization is less powerful than you may have imagined."

"I haven't been on a student council before, so I'm not sure if you're right about me or not," I said.

"Neither have I, Miura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "Mitamura-san, could you please share what Nagato-sensei told you?"

Mitamura-san nodded.

"I spoke with Nagato-sensei about the student council earlier," Mitamura-san said. "She was quite honest that the organization has little power, and only handles small matters, such as student-run events. It primarily serves to give students some experience in student government that will serve them well in the future."

"Perhaps you could try thinking of it this way, Miura-san," Katsura-san said. "When an employer announces a job opening, it is not simply out of charity- they have position that must be filled and duties that must be performed. I can understand if you decline, but the student council is in need of capable and dedicated members, even if those people have not served before."

I nodded. Ordinarily, the responsible thing to do would be was to refuse any task I believed beyond my ability, but if they needed help and believed I was the one who could give it, then perhaps I should help.

"You can count on me," I said. "Just let me know if I'm not doing a good enough job, or you want someone else to do it. I'll step down if you find a better candidate."

"Understood, Miura-san," Mitamura-san said. "As Katsura-san said, we are shorthanded at this point, so I am grateful for any help."

"I'll do my best," I said. "By the way, you said Katsura-san was doubling as PR rep and treasurer, right?"

"I am," Katsura-san said. "My skills are more suited toward the former, so Mitamura-san and I decided that after filling the vice president position, we would try to fill the treasurer position."

"I'll talk with Sae, then," I said. "Maybe she'll be interested in helping out."

Mitamura-san furrowed her brow, as though Sae was not one of her top choices.

"Please do," Mitamura-san said. "If Edogawa-san accepts, I will speak with her about the position. Please keep in mind, though- I would like you to treat each other with appropriate respect while student council is in session."

We spent the rest of lunch talking about the position and what I would need to do. Part of the explanation was Mitamura-san appropriately attempting to drive home the seriousness of what I was getting involved in, and the other part sounded more intimidating than it actually was. I left the table feeling confident I could handle the task, and felt the same way about Sae.

* * *

I spoke with Sae about it over dinner, sharing some of what I'd learned.

"While I'm a bit concerned that Mitamura-san isn't entirely happy about having me," Sae said, "I would be willing to help out."

"Thank you, Sae," I said. "I'd be glad to work with you."

"Same here," Sae said, "but just so we're clear, should I call you 'Miura-san' while on student council business?"

"Mitamura-san said yes," I said. "I doubt she'd object too strongly if we called each other by our first names, but I don't mind being a little more formal at meetings. It's only been a week or two since we've started calling each other 'Kaori' and 'Sae,' after all."

Sae nodded.

"Then we should do as Mitamura-san says, _Miura-san,_ " Sae said. "Student council's in session for only a few hours a week, after all. Besides, I call you 'Miura-san' when talking with the teachers, after all."

"I do the same with you, _Edogawa-san_ ," I said. "Still, what if things end up getting awkward between us?"

"Then I'll step down," Sae said. "I'm mainly joining as a favor to you, so I'd see leaving as the same thing. If Mitamura-san fires me, or chooses not to hire me, I'll accept her decision. Does this sound fair enough?"

I paused to think, then nodded. While I'd have to get used to treating Sae as a colleague rather than just a friend, I trusted her and believed she was a capable individual, so I believed she'd be a good choice.

"It does," I said. "Welcome aboard, Sae."

"Thanks, Kaori," Sae said, as we sealed the deal with a handshake.

* * *

Shortly afterward, I stopped by the rec room and found Katsura-san playing checkers with Akasaka-san.

"Oh, hello, Miura-san," Katsura-san said. "Do you need something?"

"I just wanted to pass along a message to Mitamura-san," I said. "Sae- I mean, Edogawa-san- said yes. She would be willing to serve as treasurer."

"That's good," Katsura-san said. "By the way, it's perfectly fine if you want to call her what you always do around us- right, Kuro-chan?"

Akasaka-san smiled and nodded. I thanked both of them, then sat down to watch the game.

"By the way, Akasaka-san," I said, "did Katsura-san ask you to join?"

"Komaki-chan did mention she was joining the student council," Akasaka-san said, "but she didn't ask me to come with her."

"That's right," Katsura-san. "I'm sure Kuro-chan would have asked to join if there was a position open, and Mitamura-san would probably have taken her on, but I'm glad Kuro-chan didn't ask."

"Why not?" I said.

Katsura-san sighed.

"There's a few reasons," Katsura-san said. "First, I find it easier to keep my friends and professional associates separate. It's easy enough to call Kuro-chan 'Akasaka-san' at work, but there are far more complex situations that could arise. What if I had to give Kuro-chan an order she disagreed with? What if we had a personal dispute and it ended up affecting how we worked together? I'd rather not have to deal with situations like that."

Akasaka-san nodded.

"Besides, by the time Komaki-chan joined, Mitamura-san had already recruited Iwasawa-san," Akasaka-san said, "so I didn't think there were any jobs left that I could do. I mean, if I did a bad job and Komaki-chan was in charge, she'd have to fire me, right?"

"That _would be_ true," Katsura-san said, " _if_ I had that authority. Of course, if Mitamura-san asked for my opinion and I believed that you couldn't perform your duties, then I'd recommend that you be let go... regardless of how I felt about it. I'd rather not have to make that decision, though."

"I understand," Akasaka-san said, "which is why I'd rather not put you in a situation like that."

I paused to think for a moment as Akasaka-san and Katsura-san played a few moves. Technically, Akasaka-san could avoid such a situation by doing her best and becoming a valued member of the student council, but I didn't say that. If Akasaka-san doubted her own abilities, she wouldn't find that convincing, and if she'd made up her mind, I had no desire to convince her.

"Sae and I feel the same way," I said, "but we've worked things out in advance."

"I'm glad," Katsura-san said. "If you can balance your friendship with your duties, that's best for all concerned."

"Thank you, Katsura-san," I said, "but I'd like to let you know that I think of you and Akasaka-san as my friends, too."

Katsura-san smiled. I wasn't as close to her as Akasaka-san was, and she wasn't as close to me as Sae was, but she recognized and appreciated the sentiment.

"I appreciate hearing that, Miura-san," Katsura-san said, "and I feel the same way. I also like Edogawa-san and Iwasawa-san, and respect Mitamura-san, even if she isn't open to being friends with her colleagues. All I want is to be able to stay on good terms with you all once our tenure in the student council is finished."

"So do I," I said.

I sat and watched the game to its conclusion- Akasaka-san won once again. As one-sided as the matches often were, Katsura-san enjoyed them, so I could understand why she'd fear her friendship ending and not being able to play with Akasaka-san again. On the other hand, I believed that if their friendship was strong, then even if they had a fight, they could work out their differences and be friends again.

* * *

The next morning, I met up with Iwasawa-san in the dining hall. After we exchanged our "Good morning" greetings, Iwasawa-san got right to the point.

"Katsura-san passed your message along to Mitamura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "She'd like to meet with Edogawa-san."

"That's good," I said. "I hope it goes well, and Mitamura-san doesn't think I just want to bring a friend on board."

"Not at all, Miura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "In fact, that's part of the reason why she asked me to join."

"What do you mean?" I said.

Iwasawa-san paused for a moment.

"Mitamura-san didn't say it outright," Iwasawa-san said, "but I think she offered me a position on the student council because it would help when I get a job someday. I'm so far behind her and the others who have studied and prepared all their lives, so I need all the help I can get, don't I?"

I was tempted to say "yes," but didn't say that outright, not when I could give a better answer.

"That's just how things are," I said. "College admissions and job applications are very competitive processes, so you'll need every edge you can get. That's probably part of the reason why Mitamura-san is so hard on herself- she wants to outdo everyone else, so she pushes herself harder than they do."

"I guess," Iwasawa-san said. "It's different where I come from- while farming's hard work and you have to do your best, it's a cooperative endeavor to feed the community, so people help each other. Because of that, I'm grateful that Mitamura-san would help me, even though I'd become her rival."

I had to question the veracity of Iwasawa-san's last statement. While we hadn't had any exams yet, I'd heard that Iwasawa-san struggled in most of her subjects. Perhaps Mitamura-san had her eyes on Tokyo University, and she could probably get in, but Iwasawa-san didn't stand a chance... assuming she wanted to go to college, after all, so Iwasawa-san was no rival to Mitamura-san. Mitamura-san setting aside time to help a fellow student was a kind act, but I wasn't sure it was completely altruistic.

For now, though, I put the thought aside as Sae, Mitamura-san and Katsura-san joined us, and Sae officially joined the presumptive student council. All that was left was to be elected, but no one else was stepping up to oppose Mitamura-san... and no one ever did.

* * *

At the start of June, we cast our votes for president. Mitamura-san ran unopposed, and got most of the votes, with only a handful of the people abstaining. When I saw Hoshino-kun and Kurogane-kun on election day, I could tell that they were two of the people who hadn't voted for Mitamura-san.

"Congratulations on your victory, Madam Vice President," Hoshino-kun said sarcastically.

"Thank you, Hoshino-kun," I said, "but the race hasn't been decided yet."

"Well, if Mitamura doesn't win, who will?" Hoshino-kun said. "One of her nonexistent opponents? A write-in candidate? Don't make me laugh. I can't choose who wins, but I can decide not to be a part of this farce."

I was tempted to suggest that Hoshino-kun could have run for president if he'd wished, but thought better of it. Hoshino-kun was widely disliked, for obvious reasons, so if he somehow beat the odds and won the race, he would be short on people who wanted to work with him. If he were the only candidate, perhaps it would inspire someone to run against him so that he wouldn't get elected- and that person would probably win.

"What about you, Kurogane-kun?" I said.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Kurogane-kun said. "Not only are you willing to settle for such a hollow Ultimate title, but you're also willing to take part in this student council."

"I believed they needed help," I said, "and they believed I could serve their needs. It may not be a very important job, but if Mitamura-san believes I can do it well, I will do so."

"That probably says more about Mitamura than it does about you," Kurogane-kun said. "She sees this as a means to an end of getting into a good college, and probably wants to staff it with as many people as possible so she'll have all the perks of being president and not have to do as much work."

"What makes you so sure of that?" I said.

Kurogane-kun shrugged.

"Because that's what I'd do if I were in her position," Kurogane-kun said. "My family expects a great deal of me in my shogi career, so perhaps they'd expect me to get into a good school if I were aiming for a traditional career. Being student council president would probably help, especially since if I don't get the job, the person who did might compete with me for the school of my choice."

It made sense that Kurogane-kun would come to that conclusion. Not only were he and Mitamura-san similar, but he also most likely excelled in reading his opponents while playing shogi.

"I see," I said. "Then what would you do if you were in my position, and Mitamura-san approached you, asking for you to be her vice president?"

"I'd probably take the job," Kurogane-kun said. "It does seem important, so it would probably help me out down the road. I might not be naïve enough to believe that Mitamura's completely altruistic, but that doesn't mean I judge her unfavorably for looking out for her best interests- only for pretending that she isn't."

"Same here," Hoshino-kun said. "Just because I think everyone here is a selfish bastard at heart, the three of us included, doesn't mean I get all high and mighty about any time someone acts like a selfish bastard."

"I understand," I said. "I do notice that the two of you seem to be getting along pretty well."

"If you could call it that," Hoshino-kun said. "Kurogane and I aren't too big on the idea of friendship, but he's good for when I want to talk about something and cut through the BS."

Hoshino nodded.

"Well, I guess that works," I said. "I'll be going now."

I then started to leave, but stopped when I heard Kurogane-kun's voice.

"One more thing, Miura," Kurogane-kun said. "I'm still a bit bitter about you beating me, but in hindsight, I no longer blame you for taking advantage of a second chance to get in here. I'd probably have done the same thing in your situation."

"And I probably would have been a little frustrated if a novice had beaten me at something I'd worked at all my life," I said, "although I would have tried to learn from the loss and get even better."

"That's what I'm doing," Kurogane-kun said. "I'll hone my skills and perhaps one day, become skilled enough to defeat you in your prime."

With a "Good luck, Kurogane-kun," I said goodbye. Perhaps there were some individuals in this school who would never like or fully agree with each other, but we could understand each other's perspectives and learn to accept our differences.

* * *

A few days later, around the time we switched to summer uniforms, the results came in. Every single vote cast had been for Mitamura-san, and with a handful of exceptions, everyone in the Main Course had voted- the Reserve Course had their own student council. While Mitamura-san was well-respected, and probably would have won anyway, her almost unanimous victory was due to a lack of real opposition, rather than her charisma. Still, while It wasn't an overwhelming mandate, the student body had made its choice and accepted Mitamura-san as its leader.

Mitamura-san chose not to celebrate her victory. Even disregarding the circumstances, she saw the presidency as a significant responsibility, and believed that our work was just beginning. As admirable as her work ethic was, I had to wonder- when would she be satisfied with her accomplishments?

That wasn't to say that we didn't do anything special. The five of us stood together, in the student council room, posing for a picture with our summer uniforms. A few days later, our portrait was installed, replacing the photo of the old student council. Perhaps someday, we'd forget what we'd done for the school, but as long as the portrait stood in the office, it would serve as a memento of Talent High School's last student council.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

This is a brief look at how Miura joined the student council.

While at this point, Miura probably can't imagine Mitamura killing anyone, even in the killing game, they've known each other for a longer period than in the killing game (about two months by this point, as opposed to just over a week), so Miura's starting to become aware of Mitamura's shortcomings and more selfish ulterior motives.

An omake involves Miura talking with herself about what she realized about Mitamura during the killing game.

* * *

 _Omake_

I had a dream in which I spoke with a future version of myself, who'd apparently lost her memories of her time at Talent High School and participated in a "killing game" with my- or rather, _our-_ classmates. While the concept was difficult for me to fathom, this person understood my skepticism, so we instead chose to talk about what we knew.

"So, Kaori," the other me said, "I take it you knew Mitamura-san, too?"

I nodded. The two of us had decided to call each other by our first names, since it seemed most appropriate. "Other me," seemed too impersonal, and I found it bizarrely formal to call myself "Miura-san." Since I'd technically known her all my life, I thought it was perfectly fine to be familiar with her.

"I did, Kaori," I said. "The polite, perfectionist honors student who happens to be the Ultimate Proofreader?"

The other me sighed.

"She wants to be seen that way," the other me said, "even if that's not the kind of person she actually is. She's helpful, but part of it is so that her classmates will appreciate and respect her, rather than genuine benevolence."

"I know," I said. "Still, she does have a fair amount of pressure to succeed- to meet her family's expectations and outdo her rivals for college admissions or jobs. Of course, both of those probably pale in comparison to the killing game."

The other me seemed to accept that point. I didn't always agree with Mitamura-san, but I did try not to judge her.

"So you've realized that, too," the other me said. "She was fairly guarded, so that aspect of her wasn't obvious to me at first."

"Me neither, Kaori," I said. "The Mitamura-san I knew didn't confide in others easily, so it's not as though she told me- I just noticed after spending a long time with her."

"Same here," the other me said. "Speaking of things you noticed, did you know she really likes yaoi? She's a big fan of Breakneck Canyon!"

"WHAT?!" I said.

The other me chuckled. Apparently, this would be quite a story, and not just because Mitamura-san and Sayuri-san had been schoolmates once. I'd certainly enjoy hearing it, even if I had trouble believing the other me.


	4. Valentine's Day

**Valentine's Day**

When February came, the world was on the brink of collapse. Talent High School was still open, with students going to class and school employees showing up for work, but we were all too aware of how precarious the lives we knew were. The depressing and frightening events that seemed like they usually happened half a world away were happening in our country, and our city, so we knew it would only be a matter of time before they came to our school.

Even now, our school wasn't free of incidents. The administration had received a bomb threat addressed at the Main Course, and the culprit, a Reserve Course student a year ahead of us, was expelled. It wasn't too hard to imagine that people resented us, like they did our counterparts in Hope's Peak, but it was still disturbing to know that people hated us so much they'd want to harm us.

Despite it all, our lives went on, and we had things to worry about apart from the increasingly disturbing stories in the news. My classmates and I all had to study for the end-of-year exams, including those who knew that they had little chance of doing well. Those in the class above us were taking entrance exams to college. There was also Valentine's Day, and while very few of us were in a relationship or had anyone they were seriously interested in, it was an opportunity to give and receive chocolate.

* * *

On the Sunday before Valentine's Day, Sae and I went to a local convenience store to buy chocolate for all our male classmates.

Even on a seemingly routine outing like this, we had to take precautions. We were strongly urged not to wear our uniforms; in fact, we'd started wearing our old schools' uniforms to class. We were urged not to use last names, lest we possibly be identified as Talent High School students. We were asked to tell the teachers where we would be going and when we expected to be back.

So Sae and I set out in somewhat nondescript casual clothing, wearing long-sleeved shirts and blue jeans, and headed to the local supermarket. We saw several other girls our age, who looked like they were from a nearby high school, although they weren't wearing uniforms. There were a few other high schools in the area, whether coed or single-gender, so we weren't the only girls who were out shopping for chocolate.

Getting chocolates for most of our male classmates was a simple task. For Sakuragi-kun and Fukuda-kun, however, we had to swing by the health foods section. Since they weren't much for sweets, or any sort of junk food, they asked that they not be given chocolate. Luckily for them, Ami-chan thought of a solution so that they wouldn't be left out- chocolate-flavored protein bars, and asked the boys to give them to her when White Day rolled around.

Having gotten everything we needed, we stood in line. The cashier was a young woman who looked like she was my sister's age or a bit older, so she'd probably entered the workforce rather than going to college.

"Hello, miss," the cashier said. "Are you doing some Valentine's Day shopping?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said. "My friend and I are buying some chocolates for the guys we know in our class."

"That's nice," the cashier said as she started scanning our chocolates. "I'm actually a bit nostalgic for my high school days. Sure, my grades weren't very good, but it was fun to eat lunch with my friends, go to club together, and hang out after school. At the very least, it wasn't as hard work as this job is."

Even disregarding what was going on in the world, this was fairly sobering. We only had a single year of high school left, much of which would be spent studying for college entrance exams, and then we would all go our separate ways.

"But I could be wrong," the cashier said. "Maybe I'm just nostalgic for the past."

The cashier then asked us for our payment. I took out money from my purse and handed it to the cashier before receiving the change and the receipt.

"Here's your receipt," the cashier said. "Have a wonderful day, ladies."

After thanking the cashier and leaving the store, Sae and I walked back to campus together.

"Is something on your mind, Kaori?" Sae said.

"I've just been wondering how long we'll be able to go on with our everyday lives like this," I said. "Maybe there will come a time when we wish we could be back at this school, even if the troubles die down and we're able to graduate and get on with our lives."

"I think so, too," Sae said. "The woman who helped us reminds me a bit of my sister, who enjoyed school even if she wasn't very good at it. My sister still gets nostalgic for it sometimes, and wishes she'd gotten held back so she could attend school with me."

"I see," I said. "My sister's close enough to me in age that we've attended the same schools. I might just be able to get into the college she attends."

Sae nodded encouragingly.

"That said," Sae said, "even if my sister fondly remembers her high school days, she's happy where she is. She's grateful for what she has- a home, a job and a significant other, along with all the other essentials in life- so even if it isn't perfect, she doesn't have anything she can really complain about. In a worst-case scenario, if my books stop selling and the publisher decides to cut me off, I could go to work at a bookstore."

It was a bit of a harsh truth- that not all authors stayed popular forever. When Dad discouraged me from becoming an author, he pointed out that my initial success might not last, and encouraged me to find a more stable career. As such, it would be naïve to assume that Sae would be set for life just because she wrote Aiko Aizawa.

"Well, I can think of one person who will always be eager to read what you write, _Sensei_ ," I said.

Sae laughed, whether due to my comment or hearing me call her "Sensei" for the first time in almost a year.

"I'm glad to hear that, Kaori," Sae said. "I should be done with Volume 13 by the start of next year, so I'll make sure it doesn't disappoint you."

We returned to campus safely and let everyone know we were back. Once we got back to our dorm room, Sae took a look at the receipt and handed me enough for the chocolates I'd bought for her, telling me to keep the change, before we parted ways for the moment.

I took a moment to look over the chocolates (and chocolate-flavored protein bars) I'd bought. None of them were all that expensive, but it was the thought that counted. None of our classmates were ungrateful enough to complain about the chocolate they were going to receive, even if they knew this was only out of obligation, so Sae and I, along with the rest of the girls, could be sure that our gifts would be well-received.

* * *

That evening, Sugiura-san held a class on chocolate making in the evening. Only one other person showed up, the last person I wanted to see... Sae. It was a bit of an unfortunate stroke of luck that none of our five classmates, nor any of our female senpais had enough interest in any prospective romantic partner to make chocolate themselves. At the very least, none of the heterosexual girls had to worry about the object of their affection seeing them learning how to make chocolates.

"Um... this is awkward," I said, and Sae hesitantly chuckled in agreement.

Sugiura-san scoffed. She hadn't cast aside her polite facade, but the cracks showed when she was in a bad enough mood.

"Because I know you're making chocolates for each other?" Sugiura-san said. "Honestly, Miura-san- I think everyone here knows about you and Edogawa-san."

"That's not it," I said. "I was planning on this being a surprise for Sae."

"The same goes for me," Sae said. "Not that I was going to give you chocolate, since I think we both always knew that, but how it would taste."

Sugiura-san paused to think for a moment.

"How about this?" Sugiura-san said. "I'll show you two the ropes, and you can practice on your own so you can see who improves the most by the time Valentine's Day rolls around."

Sae and I nodded.

"It's a deal," I said.

"That's good," Sugiura-san said. "Let's get started."

Sugiura-san taught us the basics of making chocolate, and we made and ate a batch together. She then gave us the ingredients and told us to make some ourselves.

Once her lesson concluded, Sae and I walked back to the dorms.

"You know, Kaori," Sae said, "it does seem a bit odd that we're concerned about something like that."

"I know," I said. "Before, we could say that it was a sign that we were sheltered enough that our only concerns were 'first world problems,' but now, I suppose it proves that we can't stop thinking about the silly things, even in times like these."

I'd once asked Iwasawa-san about life in her village, and she'd explained that even though life was harder in her farming village, that didn't mean that the residents were all about hard work all the time, especially not the children. Younger children played tag, hopscotch and other old-fashioned games, while the teenagers our age often thought about winning over their crushes. Iwasawa-san didn't have anyone she was interested in among the boys of our class- either they didn't appeal to her or they wouldn't be willing to live in her village- but she had to admit that she, too felt the desire to find a boyfriend, and eventually, a husband. Whatever happened with Iwasawa-san's village in the future, I believed that the next generation of young farmers would be no different.

"Quite true," Sae said. "At the very least, I believe that Valentine's Day will be something to look forward to, rather than yet another thing to worry about."

We hung out for a while, talking about Valentine's Day of years past, since while we couldn't forget about the rising unrest in Japan and the rest of the world, we couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

On the evening of February 13, I borrowed the kitchen and went to work on the chocolate for Sae. Sae had told me that she would use the kitchen in the afternoon in order to avoid scheduling conflicts with me or anyone else.

Even after what I'd been taught, I was still a bit nervous of how it would turn out. I'd only learned how to make chocolate mere days ago, and was doing so myself for the first time. It didn't have the same finesse and quality as what a master chocolatier would make, nor was it of even the same quality as that which a chocolate factory churned out every day. Perhaps even the similarly inexperienced Sae had done a better job than I had, although that wouldn't be a completely bad thing.

I took a bite, and noticed that the chocolate tasted good. I wasn't a connoisseur of sweets, so I couldn't describe the various textures and nuances in the chocolate, but I could say this- I would be happy to receive the chocolate, and I felt a small sense of accomplishment for having made it.

Having had a taste of my chocolate, I packaged the rest into a heart-shaped box, and then returned to my room for the night.

* * *

On Valentine's Day, I handed out my store-bought chocolates to my classmates, as well as chocolate-flavored protein bars to Fukuda-kun and Sakuragi-kun. They were my classmates, so I felt I owed them that much, even if my heart would never belong to any of them.

After dinner, everyone threw a birthday party for me. Birthday parties were nothing major; simply serving up a cake and singing "Happy Birthday," while some of the birthday boy/girl's friends gave presents. I had a small slice of cake, since it wouldn't be my only dessert that night.

During the party, Ami-chan briefly mused that it seemed a bit unfair that I'd have to give out chocolates on my birthday, but I said I was fine with that. For girls, giving out chocolates on Valentine's Day is partly an act of love (or obligation, as the case may be), and partly done in hopes that the favor would be returned. For me, luckily enough, the favor would be returned far sooner than it would if I had a boyfriend.

* * *

After the party ended, I went over to Sae's room. She'd left after the first few guests had started leaving but before everyone was gone, in order to avoid being overly conspicuous, although everyone probably knew we were in a relationship by this point.

"Happy birthday, Kaori," Sae said, as she gave me my gift- the first entry in a well-regarded murder mystery series.

We gave each other our chocolates and ate them.

"It's good," Sae said. "You seem like you've gotten better since Sugiura-san gave us a lesson."

"So have you, Sae," I said. "I'm glad we could spend today together."

Sae nodded.

"I've been thinking about what you said the other day," Sae said. "Yesterday, I woke up, worried about what sort of news would show up on my phone's feed, or whether our school would be the site of the latest tragedy. But today, all I thought about was making sure that you had a happy birthday and we could enjoy Valentine's Day together. Maybe it's shortsighted or self-centered to feel happy even with everything else that's going on, but that's how I feel."

"... and how _I_ feel," I said. "Even in the best of times, I'd probably worry about things like our entrance exams, or what our parents might think about their younger daughters going out, but all the same, I'm glad for times when I can forget all that."

Sae and I spent the rest of the evening in her room before retiring for the night, forgetting about our worries and our fears for the future. Even as the world continued its decline, and we were forced to seal ourselves in the school, we'd cherish this memory as long as it remained in our minds.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Since Hope's Peak was sealed at the end of Class 78's first year, it's likely that the world was nearing collapse by the time February rolled around (the Japanese school year ends in March).

One unfortunate consequence of having this cast was that no one appears to have a romantic interest in any of their classmates, apart from Miura and Edogawa, much less any potential love triangles. You could chalk it up to most of the characters being more focused on developing their talents than falling in love, or how most of the close friendships are between heterosexual students of the same sex.

Sugiura's more polite during the time they're at Talent High School, since she still keeps up her facade

The omake shows an alternative future, while also poking how Absolute Despair Girls and Side: Despair feature extras with colored silhouettes (although the ones in the latter have clothing).

* * *

 **Omake**

 _Edogawa's POV_

I stood behind the counter at a local bookstore, waiting for the customers to come in. I wore a white button-down shirt, dark slacks and a green apron, the uniform of customers in here.

Several years had passed since Kaori and I had graduated from college together.

A woman approached the counter. Her face was completely indistinguishable from the other throngs of customers, since it was a pink silhouette, but I could tell she was a woman in several ways. She had chin-length hair, a modest bosom and wore a pink skirt suit with a white blouse.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," I said. "How may I help you today?"

While Shinichi-kun had once told me that some American women detested being called "ma'am," it was the safest choice here. It was the most respectful way I could think of to address a female customer whose name I didn't know (after all, I didn't even know her face, so I couldn't recognize her if I saw her again), just like how Father used "ma'am" on the civilian women he encountered on duty... including the suspects he ended up helping to arrest.

The woman bought a book on creative writing. Perhaps she was an amateur who wanted to get better, perhaps she was an aspiring pro, or perhaps she was buying something for her child or a friend- I couldn't tell. In any case, she reminded me a little of myself.

The next customer was a blue silhouette of a man in a suit... as was the one after that, both of whom bought manga volumes for their children. Luckily for me, I didn't need to tell them apart, and simply calling them "sir" sufficed.

After a lull, I saw a customer I recognized very well- my wife, Kaori. Since my popularity had already declined, we'd had a private, albeit unofficial, marriage ceremony.

"Hello, dear," Kaori said. "Are you almost done with work?"

"Just a minute, darling," I said. "I just need to wait for someone to cover me at the cashier, and then we can go home together."

Suddenly, I heard a beeping sound, which happened to be my alarm, and I was a bit disappointed to realize that this was only a dream. It wasn't a perfectly happy life, since I did want to write Aiko Aizawa as long as I could, but because it was imperfect, it ended up being more believable. I could only hope that even considering the state of the world, that this- a happy and modest life with the one I loved- wouldn't be too much to ask for.


	5. Class 33's School Trip

**Class 33's School Trip**

In early October, shortly after changing back into our winter uniforms, our class took a field trip to Kyoto.

Naturally, a lot of preparations had to be made. The school had to make arrangements for transportation and lodgings, and split us into four groups of four- two entirely male and two entirely female. Those going on the trip whatever they needed- a uniform or two(or a suit, in Nagato-sensei's case), underwear and socks, toiletries, and everything else we might need for the trip.

The latter varied from person to person. Mizuhara-kun needed a syringe for his allergies. Iwasawa-san, who was planning on going to church on Sunday, brought along a Sunday dress, and those of us who were planning on accompanying her brought some of their nicer clothing. Akasaka-san brought her checkers set to play with Katsura-san, or anyone else who was interested. I brought a mystery novel to read during downtime. From the necessities, to the stuff that was nice to have on a trip, the contents of our suitcases said a lot about who we were.

We also brought a variety of expectations and feelings. Many of us were excited, while others were ambivalent. All of us lived in the moment, unaware that the next year and the year after that would not go as we'd anticipated.

* * *

 **Group 1: Miura, Edogawa, Akasaka, Katsura**

 _Miura's POV_

While we were on the trip, we stayed in a traditional inn. Each group of four students shared a room, and Nagato-sensei stayed with Mitamura-san's group.

As enjoyable as the trip was, I was a bit disappointed that I didn't have much time to be alone with Sae. I considered Katsura-san and Akasaka-san friends, as did Sae, but there were certain things Sae and I couldn't exactly do with other people around, more for the sake of etiquette than because we were both girls.

According to Sae's sister, whom Sae said was "fairly sure that we're a couple," heterosexual couples had challenges of their own. She told Sae to ask herself whether any given challenge would still apply if one of us were male, and following that advice, I found that the answer was often "yes." On the bright side, both of us being girls meant that no one would bat an eye over us sharing a room.

After getting out of the baths and changing into light pink yukatas(the boys, who'd gone in first, wore sky blue), the four of us sat around the room that we shared, until Akasaka-san glanced out the window.

"You know, Komaki-chan," Akasaka-san said, "we can get a good view of the stars from outside our room. Would you like to go out there until bedtime?"

Akasaka-san seemed a bit surprised for a moment, but nodded. Maybe she realized that it was a cloudy night tonight.

"Yes, let's, Kuro-chan," Katsura-san said. "Miura-san, Edogawa-san, you can come if you'd like."

"Thank you for the offer," I said, "but maybe another time."

Sae nodded.

"I see," Akasaaka-san said. "Let's go, Komaki-chan."

Katsura-san then followed Akasaka-san out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"I had no idea Katsura-san was so interested in astronomy," Sae said with a smile.

"She did once mention that she liked watching the stars with her siblings," I said, "but as Hoshino-kun pointed out, the sky's too cloudy tonight and there's light pollution."

"True," Sae said. "I suppose this is their way of being considerate of us, although I didn't know that they knew we were a couple."

"Me neither," I said. "I honestly don't know what made them conclude that we weren't just friends, but we should keep it to ourselves for now."

"Are you worried what others might think?" Sae said.

I sighed and shrugged.

"That's only part of it," I said. "The main reason I'm worried is that everyone knows, we can _never_ go back to how it was when they were ignorant. I'm always a bit nervous when it comes to big decisions that can't be taken back."

"That's reasonable," Sae said, "especially since decisions like that tend to have very high stakes. But do you regret taking that step?"

I shook my head.

"Not at all," I said. "I was nervous, and still am uneasy about some of the things we may face down the road, such as how my parents and your father might take it, but it's made me _very_ happy."

"So am I," Sae said. "Why not forget about all that for a little while?"

I nodded, and Sae and I started making out. I'm sure some of you would want to see that, but I'd prefer to keep it between us, so I'll let Akasaka-san take over.

* * *

 _Akasaka's POV_

I went to the lobby with Komaki-chan and watched television with her. The set was tuned to some sort of drama, in which the two women were talking about some sort of ongoing issue that we hadn't heard about, making the show virtually impossible for us to follow. Unsurprisingly, Komaki-chan didn't mind when I struck up a conversation during the argument about one character having an affair.

"So, Komaki-chan," I said. "How long have you known about Miura-san and Edogawa-san?"

"It's hard to say," Komaki-chan said. "They keep things fairly chaste in public, and still call each other by their last names and '-san' during Student Council meetings, even though they've been using first names about as long as we have. In hindsight, though, I think it all started when they spent the entire summer festival together. You should have seen the look on Miura-san's face when she saw Edogawa-san in the yukata."

I giggled. While I had no romantic interest in the same sex, I had to admit that Edogawa-san looked quite nice in her kimono, so it was easy to see why Miura-san was attracted to her. The fact that Edogawa-san was kind, intelligent and fun to be around also helped show that the attraction was more than skin-deep.

In any case, though, it seemed as though Komaki-chan had her suspicions about Miura-san and Edogawa-san, but hadn't known for any longer than I had.

"Anyway," Komaki-chan said, her expression turning serious, "I'm happy for them, but I'm also a bit worried, mainly about what their parents think."

"Because they're both girls?" I said.

"Partially, but I'd feel the same way if one was a boy," Komaki-chan said. "My sister's husband doesn't always get along with the rest of the family, and now that my oldest brother's engaged, it's happening all over again. My family sets the bar high for anyone wishing to marry into it, and while they're willing to respect their children's decisions on who to love, that doesn't mean they have to _like_ them. I suppose the Miuras and the Edogawas are no different."

I could see where Komaki-chan was coming from. Her parents struck me as a bit strict, albeit reasonable, so I'd been able to win them over by being on my best behavior- I'd practiced by calling their youngest daughter "Komaki-san" for a week. If I'd been a boy, however, or if Komaki-chan and I had been girlfriends, things would have been very different.

"That's unfortunate," I said. "But in the end, your sister and brother-in-law, and brother and sister-in-law are free to make their own decisions. They may have their disagreements with your parents, but I'm sure they appreciate that freedom, and are grateful to their parents for giving it to them."

"They are," Komaki-chan said, "just like Miura-san and Edogawa-san must appreciate our consideration. I believe that just allowing them to be together, and supporting them are the best things we can do for them right now."

We stayed in the lobby until just before bedtime, at which point we returned to the room, where Miura-san and Edogawa-san had already climbed into bed. Perhaps someday, they'd have to face their problems, but until that day came, they could simply relax and enjoy each other's company, knowing that their friends wouldn't judge them.

* * *

 **Group 2: Iwasawa, Mitamura, Yuuki, Sugiura**

 _Iwasawa's POV_

The four of us in my group met in the dining hall for a planning session and discuss our trip, mainly where we'd be going.

Mitamura-san asked if I was used to traveling by train, and I told her that this would be my sixth time- I'd ridden one to school for my interview, back home after I'd been accepted, to school for the start of the year, back home for summer and to school at the end of August. The novelty factor had diminished, but my classmates could tell how excited I was about going on a trip with my friends and schoolmates.

"So, girls," Yuuki-san said, "have any of you been to Kyoto before?"

"A few times," Mitamura-san said. "While I live near Talent High School, some of my relatives are from Kyoto. My family and I spent most of our time at our relatives' home, rather than going sightseeing, though."

"No, never," Sugiura-san said. "I suppose that since you're asking, you haven't, either?"

Yuuki-san shook her head.

"Nope," Yuuki-san said. "How about you, Momo-chan?"

"No, never," I said. "I haven't even been out of my village before I came to this school, so this is my first class trip ever."

"Oh, right," Yuuki-san said. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that."

Mitamura-san hadn't. In the days leading up to the trip, she'd given me some pointers on what I needed to take, but left the actual decision up to me.

"It's fine, Yuuki-san," I said. "To be honest, this is a fairly exciting experience."

"I am glad you are looking forward to the trip," Mitamura-san said, "but at the same time, please remember that is as much of a school-sponsored activity as our classes are. As long as you wear that uniform, you represent our class, and your actions will impact the school's reputation."

I nodded. Nagato-sensei had made her expectations quite clear, saying that I was expected to follow all relevant school rules. This included wearing my uniform while in public, doing as the teachers said and, as Mitamura-san just said, not causing trouble. The last thing we wanted was to give locals the impression that our school's students were poorly behaved.

"C'mon, Reiko-chan," Yuuki-san said. "Momo-chan isn't the type to start trouble, so I don't think there's any harm in letting her kick back and relax while she's on the trip."

"I agree," Sugiura-san said. "If nothing else, Iwasawa-san does seem to understand the situation enough to not need an additional reminder."

"Fair enough," Mitamura-san said. "I never meant to imply that I did not trust Iwasawa-san. I simply wished for her to understand what she needs to so she can get the most out of this trip."

I nodded appreciatively. New experiences required a great deal of personal adjustment, but while Mitamura-san was the type who took everything seriously, she clearly hoped I could enjoy this trip.

* * *

 _Mitamura's POV_

On the final afternoon of our trip, the four girls in our group went shopping for souvenirs. As we set out from the inn, Nagato-sensei approached us.

"May I join you ladies?" Nagato-sensei said. "I'd like to buy something for Chiyu...I mean, Nagato-san."

The four of us looked at each other. While I guided the group, I was not the official leader, nor did I have the final say. As far as I knew, if none of us had any legitimate objections to Nagato-sensei coming with us, then it would be fine with all of us.

"You certainly may, Sensei," Yuuki-san said. "By the way, you can just call Chiyuri-senpai by her first name when with us. Right now, you're just buying something for your daughter, not your student, right?"

"When you put it that way, Yuuki-san, it certainly makes sense," Nagato-sensei said. "Let's go."

As we went shopping, I stayed close to Iwasawa-san, hoping to give her advice and prevent her from being deceived into spending her money frivolously. Of course, since all of us were tourists, we were likely easy prey to the locals, who would seek to gouge us.

We shopped in a store full of odds and ends, where Nagato-sensei found a T-shirt, with "Kyoto" written on it and a picture of the landscape.

"Chiyuri might like this," Nagato-sensei said. "Our class went to Okinawa last year, and she got a shirt to remember the trip."

"I'm interested too, Sensei," Iwasawa-san said, "but I'm not sure when I'd wear it. Outside of school and Sunday dresses, I usually wear overalls, and the bib would go right over the picture."

As Iwasawa-san spoke, she ran a hand over her flat and muscular chest.

"Well, there's a quick fix, Momo-chan," Yuuki-san said. "Just undo one of your straps and let the bib hang down, so people can see what's on your shirt."

Yuuki-san got out her phone, a relatively cheap flip open phone, and showed Iwasawa-san a selfie that she'd taken. Yuuki-san was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with a sports logo on it, along with a pair of overall shorts that was worn in the way she had described.

"Oh, good thinking," Iwasawa-san said. "Of course, since overalls are meant to be protective, it's a bit strange that you'd wear the bib halfway down or wear shorts. Besides, it seems a bit odd that they came 'broken in' like that."

"Well, that's the look that's in style," Yuuki-san said. "Overalls aren't just 'farming' clothes- they can be cool, too."

"And practical," Nagato-sensei said. "When I was pregnant with Chiyuri, I had a nice pair of maternity overalls. I'd never wear them while teaching, but..."

Iwasawa-san smiled. As much as I had hoped to convert her to wearing "nice" clothing- blouses, skirts and dresses- so that she could look respectable when she needed to, it was heartwarming to see her feel comfortable with herself. Perhaps in some ways, she would be the same girl who came from her remote farming village, and that was perfectly acceptable.

Eventually, all of us picked out our souvenirs- Yuuki-san, Nagato-sensei and Iwasawa-san chose T-shirts, Sugiura-san chose a magnet and I chose a coffee mug. We went to the register and handed Nagato-sensei the money for our souvenirs, while she stood in line. After paying the cashier, she handed us our souvenirs.

"Thank you for making this a fun school trip, ladies," Nagato-sensei said. "It's a shame that Chiyuri couldn't come."

"Why not, Sensei?" Iwasawa-san said.

"She has college entrance exams this year," Nagato-sensei said. "Between studying for them, mock exams and her normal school responsibilities, Chiyuri and her classmates are too busy for a school trip. That's why they stepped down from student council, so that you, Mitamura-san and the others could take charge."

Iwasawa-san's expression was one of mild unpleasant surprise, as though she'd forgotten about it. Coming to the city was an adjustment for her in many ways, so perhaps she didn't remember them. Yuuki-san and Sugiura-san, however, simply sighed, clearly not looking forward to them, and I had to agree. While I was probably the best prepared for entrance exams out of everyone in the class, my success was by no means guaranteed.

"Ah, yes, exams," Iwasawa-san said. "Considering how far behind, I am, I wonder if I transferred over too late in my school career."

"I don't think so, Iwasawa-san" Nagato-sensei said. "No matter what path you take after graduation- going on to college, entering the workforce or returning to your farming village- then as long as you learned something of value during your time here, then your time at the school was worthwhile. While it is important that our students go on to have good jobs and good futures, it's most important that they get good educations- if they do, everything else usually takes care of itself."

I had to admit I had never thought about this issue the way Nagato-sensei had. Maybe it was because she was adult with a respectable job who no longer needed to worry about her studies, or because she had decades of life experience that I did not, but it was difficult to take on her perspective as I was now. Perhaps someday I would understand, though, and once I did, I would pass on the lesson to those who came after me.

* * *

 **Group 3: Fukuda, Sakuragi, Mizuhara, Kagami**

 _Fukuda's POV_

I wasn't entirely excited about this trip for a number of reasons. One reason was that I'd hoped that the trip would be somewhere more outdoorsy- camping by a lake, climbing a mountain or even walking in the woods. Another was that apart from Sakuragi, I wasn't especially close to any of the boys in my group.

The four of us got along decently, but apart from Sakuragi and I, we hadn't really spoken much. Once our trip-related topics ran out, the conversations ground to a halt, and we usually ended up just hanging out by ourselves.

On the secon day, Sakuragi and I shared a boat. We caught a glimpse of Kagami and Mizuhara in another boat elsewhere on the lake, but I don't think they noticed us. They didn't really seem to be talking, either.

"I wonder what those two are up to," Sakuragi said. "Maybe Mizuhara's going to do some fishing?"

"I don't think it's allowed here," I said. "Besides, he left his rod and other supplies at school, after Nagato-sensei told him he wouldn't have any opportunities to use them."

"Oh, right," Sakuragi said. "Well, I guess I'm lucky, since all I need to go running are a good pair of shoes and clothing that I can let get sweaty."

I nodded. Sakuragi and I had continued our tradition of morning runs while on the trip, after letting the teacher know where we would be. We also invited our roommates, but neither of them were interested enough in going for a run with us that they'd wake up early to do so.

"You know, I miss the guys from my old school's track team," Sakuragi said. "We all run separately, not like a relay or anything, but it feels like we've got each other's backs. You and Yuuki are the only ones in this class who're seriously interested in exercise."

"And Yuuki mainly does it to keep her weight under control," I said. "I guess this sort of thing happens when people with entirely different career goals come together."

In other words, not too different from a normal high school. In any given class of twenty-odd students, you'd be lucky if one wants to get into the same field as you.

"Then again," I said, "even if we'll end up going our separate ways after this, I'll probably look back fondly on these days we spent as a class."

"Me too," Sakuragi said.

We soon brought the boat back to shore and rejoined Kagami and Mizuhara, talking about the lake as we headed off to our next destination. Maybe we'd drift apart soon after graduating, but I hoped I'd never forget the time we all took a trip together.

* * *

 **Group 4: Tezuka, Inoue, Hoshino, Kurogane**

 _Tezuka's POV_

On the morning of the trip's third day, I took a piss in one of the toilets in the men's restroom. The toilet in our room was... occupied, and seeing as how it stunk to high heaven, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near it.

After I washed my hands, I went back to the room, and saw Inoue bent over our toilet, with Kurogane and Hoshino watching from a safe distance.

"You feeling any better, Inoue?" I said.

Inoue throwing up in the toilet again was a better "no" answer than anything I could say. He'd thrown up for the first time a couple hours after last night's dinner, and it was obvious that this wasn't something he could just sleep off.

"Sorry, Tezuka-kun," Inoue said. "Could you please tell Nagato-sensei that I won't be able to make it?"

"Sure," Hoshino said, "and also that the three of us, along with the rest of the class, will probably come down wth whatever it is you've got."

"Perhaps he first contracted his illness from one of us," Kurogane said, "or one of our senpais. In that case, that person would be to blame."

I shrugged. Edogawa got pretty sick a while back, but that was in the middle of September, so I don't think she passed her bug on to anyone- not even Miura, who spent the most time with her. Then again, I wasn't too great at remembering who was absent on any given day.

"Well, look on the bright side," I said. "If we do get sick, then we probably won't start barfing until after we get home, which makes us luckier than a certain someone here. Maybe when that happens, Inoue can bitch about having to put up with you, like you did for him."

Inoue smiled, probably happy that at least one of us had sympathy for him.

"You guys should probably get going," Inoue said, "otherwise Nagato-sensei might think something's wrong with you, too."

"Gotcha," I said. "Get well soon, Inoue."

Kurogane, Hoshino and I walked out of the inn and met up with the others. By now, Nagato-sensei and the other three groups were already assembled for a picture.

"Oh, hello, boys," Nagato-sensei said. "Where's Inoue-san?"

"He's not feeling well," I said. "I'm not a doctor, but I think he's got a stomach flu or something."

"That's a shame," Nagato-sensei said, "since he'll have to miss our group photo. Maybe I could use photo editing to put him in."

"I doubt Inoue-kun would want you to go that far, Sensei," Edogawa said. "The photo that we take together is a record of our time in Kyoto, and it would be best if it was as authentic as possible."

I didn't agree with that 100 percent, since people often had to dress up and smile for photos like that, even if they weren't the type to do either.

"All right," Nagato-sensei said. "Please form up in a row- once you are, I'll have one of the hotel staffers take a picture of us."

We ended up getting a picture of the sixteen of us outside Nijo Castle. It was one of the best possible ways to commemorate this trip, even if we had to put "Not Pictured: Shinichi Inoue," or something like that. He'd gotten himself a souvenir, but I really didn't know if he wanted to remember the trip after how much the past half a day had sucked for him.

Then again, we all had to grow up, which, from what I heard, involved having a lot of shitty days that made you wish you were back in high school. I wasn't looking forward to that, but at least we'd have some good memories to look back on when things got rough, and I hoped Inoue could say that, too.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 _Chapter II spoilers ahead_

This side story, the first Where Talent Went To School story in a while, focuses on the class trip.

Rather than show the entire trip, I focused on a few characters' specific experiences. I also decided to play to the sense of dramatic irony, particularly characters cherishing the memories that will be erased once the killing game starts.

The trip is somewhat inspired by Bloom Into You's class trip.

Since Talent High School is more of a "normal" school than Hope's Peak, albeit a highly sought-after school, students there do actually take tests and are worried about entrance exams. Mitamura may be a talented student, but she attributes her grades to hard work (and cheating on at least one occasion), so success is not guaranteed.

After this point, you'll likely see chapters that feature the Where Talent Goes On Vacation cast, as well as spoilers for that story, so be warned.

The omake shows the time Kaori confessed to Sae.

* * *

 **Omake**

 _Miura's POV_

In the middle of July, Sae and I attended a local summer festival together. We both wore yukatas (Sae's was blue while mine was pink), sampled the various foods, tried fishing for goldfish, and watched the fireworks together.

It was a lot of fun, but Sae noticed something was off about me. The summer night was cool, but I'd turned beet red when I saw Sae in her kimono, causing her to take my temperature. Eventually, as the event was winding down, she decided to ask me about it.

"You seem a little tense, Kaori," Sae said. "Is something the matter?"

I shook my head. I wasn't good at telling lies, but I couldn't come out and say what was on my mind.

"Nothing, Sae," I said. "I was just thinking about how much fun this is, and I'd like to do it again."

"We certainly can," Sae said. "Even if we have entrance exams, I'm sure we can set aside another evening to spend at the festival next year."

"That's great," I said. "I really like spending time with you."

Sae smiled, but remained silent, probably expecting me to say more.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself. By now, I knew that Sae was not only fond of me, but she was also bisexual, meaning that if she said no, she'd certainly be nice about it. The cost of failure would, at the very least, be bearable.

On the other hand, I'd never been this invested in anything until now. My dream of being a writer was always a pie-in-the-sky prospect, so while it was disappointing to be told to give up on it, I had to admit that I'd never even gotten off the ground. I'd suspected that I'd never be able to become the Ultimate Mahjong player, so I wasn't all that put out over being denied the title, albeit partly because I got another Ultimate title on the same day. But while there were other women out there, Sae was my best friend and my first love, so I fervently hoped she felt the same way about me as I did about her. I'd likely only have one shot at this, and whatever the outcome, things wouldn't be the same once I confessed to her.

Of course, while I knew that, I couldn't stay the way I was- keeping quiet about my feelings just because I was scared. I also knew that a part of me wanted my feelings to be heard and accepted, which would never happen unless I spoke them out loud. So I looked Sae straight in the eye and told her what I felt.

"Because..." I said, "I'm in love with you and want to be your girlfriend. You're not just my favorite author or my best friend- you're special to me. So I..."

I stopped short, unsure of what to say next. There was any number of things I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure whether they adequately expressed what I was feeling. As I saw Sae smile warmly, I realized I didn't need to say anything more.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say, Kaori," Sae said. "Thank you."

"You mean it?" I said.

Sae nodded.

"Of course I do," Sae said. "Not only do I feel the same way, but it took a lot of courage to say what you did, and I appreciate it. Part of the reason I'd held off on confessing because I wasn't sure you were ready, but I'm glad that you are. If our situations were reversed, and I was in love with you and didn't know if you felt the same, I don't know if I could have done what you did."

It wasn't hard to guess why, given what I'd learned about her. She hadn't had many friends in the past, so she was probably scared of losing a close friend if she was rejected. Her father didn't approve of her sister's boyfriend, so it was likely that he wouldn't approve of me. Most importantly, I noticed that while Sae was a kind, intelligent and talented young woman, she struggled with her doubts and fears, just like everyone else did.

"But that hardly matters now," Sae said. "You took a leap of faith, and I'm glad you did. Why not seal the deal?"

"Yes, let's," I said. "Here's to becoming girlfriends."

We then leaned in and kissed, while everyone else was distracted by the fireworks. Perhaps someday, we'd have to deal with what people thought of our relationship, but for now, we enjoyed possibly the happiest evening of our high school days.

* * *

And as a second bonus, if this fic had a calendar, here's the illustrations for each month might look like.

 **January:** The class outside, playing in the snow.

 **February:** Miura and Edogawa giving each other Valentine's Day chocolate.

 **March:** The class, in their winter uniforms, having a picnic under the cherry blossom trees.

 **April:** The class, in their standard outfits, posing outside the school.

 **May:** The students running outside on the track. Some of the athletic students are running, while the less athletic students are watching, while Sakuragi passes up everyone else.

 **June:** Akasaka and Kurogane playing a game of checkers, as Katsura, Miura, Tezuka and Hoshino watch.

 **July:** The girls in yukatas, attending the summer festival. Miura is blushing slightly and holding hands with Edogawa.

 **August:** The guys in swimsuits, at the beach. Mizuhara is fishing, while Sakuragi runs on the beach.

 **September:** Iwasawa, in overalls, tilling her fields.

 **October:** The class posing outside Nijo Castle.

 **November:** Tezuka painting the autumn landscape while Inoue, Mizuhara and Kagami watch.

 **December:** The class celebrating Christmas together.


	6. Meet and Greet

**Meet and Greet**

 _Miura's POV_

On the first Saturday after I arrived at Talent High School, just after I got my uniform, the school held its annual meet and greet between the two classes in the gym after school let out. Attendance was optional, but was strongly encouraged. Since it was a school program, we were expected to wear our uniforms, although there wasn't much point in going back to our dorms to change.

Once school ended for the day, half the class- all the girls besides Sugiura-san, as well as Inoue-kun, Sakuragi-kun, Tezuka-kun and Fukuda-kun, headed over to the event, and met up just outside the gym.

"Looks like most of us are here," Yuuki-san said, "but we're missing some people."

"I don't think it's too surprising that not everyone wants to come and meet Class 32," Fukuda-kun said. "They're our upperclassmen, so not only will we not be sharing classes with them, but they'll be graduating in March... unless a couple of them get held back."

Fukuda-kun spoke to the root of the problem- it was hard to become friends with someone if you hardly ever saw them. In fact, the few upperclassmen I interacted with were either in the same club as me, or knew my older sister.

"That is unlikely, Fukuda-san," Mitamura-san said. "While some people have been expelled from Talent High School, as recently as two years ago, virtually no one has been held back. One member of last year's graduating class had been held back in the past, but before she joined the school."

"OK, so none of the guys in Class 32 will get held back," Fukuda-kun said. "I guess that proves my point."

"Yeah, but I think there's a bigger problem here," Tezuka-kun said. "Most of the guys who didn't show up- oh yeah, and Sugiura- don't really get on with many people in our class, so it's a bit much to ask them to go out of their way to meet a bunch of other people."

While less than a week had passed since the start of the semester, it was long enough to reinforce our first impressions of others and help establish relationships. Some people, like Mizuhara-kun, Kagami-kun and Sugiura-san tended to keep a certain distance from others. Others, like Kurogane-kun and Hoshino-kun, rubbed others the wrong way with their unpleasant personalities. As premature as it might be, I had some idea of those who might become my friends, those who would be acquaintances, and those I'd likely never get along with.

"It cannot be helped," Mitamura-san said. "That may be for the best, though, since only those who can mind their manners should come. Please keep that in mind, Yuuki-san."

"Yes, ma'am," Yuuki-san said. "Don't worry, Reiko-chan; I know I have to call the folks from Class 32 'senpai.'"

Mitamura-san let off a sigh, as if to say "Where do I even begin?", but I faintly smiled. While Yuuki-san's friendly and casual nature fell short of Mitamura-san's extremely high standards of decorum, she was capable of showing respect to others, addressing our homeroom teacher as "Nagato-sensei, "Sensei" or a non-ironic "ma'am." Perhaps if I was three or more years older, she'd treat me similarly.

"I must admit that I'm not sure whether I should be here, either," Iwasawa-san said, "since the concept of a senpai-kohai relationship is new to me."

"You're not alone, Iwasawa-san," Inoue-kun said, "since most of the people I met when I went to school in America couldn't get their heads around that, either. Even the idea of calling you, a schoolmate, what amounts to 'Miss Iwasawa' is a bit weird to them, since they use first names."

"Oh, I'm familiar with that, Inoue-san," Iwasawa-san said. "With the exception of my family and a few close friends, who call me 'Momo,' I'm 'Miss Iwasawa' to most people, at least until I get married. Since students from different age groups attend the one-room schoolhouse together, but mostly treat each other as equals, this is a bit of an adjustment."

I had to admit that some of the nuances of the senpai-kohai dynamic could be confusing. For example, if I'd stayed at my old high school, I'd be "Miura-senpai" to this year's class of first-years, but my older sister, an alumna, would be called "Miura-san." If I'd transferred to a school besides Talent High School at the start of the year, the first-years would also be expected to call me "senpai," even though I'd be just as new as they were. I was expected to call Miharu Mihama, a twelve-year-old member of Class 32 "Mihama-senpai," but because I was older than Mihama-senpai, she would also have to use polite speech on me.

"I know, Iwasawa-san," Mitamura-san, "but I believe that you should just do as I taught you and put your best foot forward. This is a learning experience for you, and if you explain yourself to those they meet, I am certain they will be tolerant of any faux pas you may make. This is meant to help us learn about each other, and if they come to learn more about you, it will have served its purpose."

"Thank you very much," Iwasawa-san said. "When you put it that way, I can understand."

While I agreed with Mitamura-san's remarks, I realized that they didn't quite mesh with what I'd heard her say when we were first introduced to each other. She'd graciously accepted Katsura-san's business cards, and complimented her appearance, saying that "There is never a second chance to make a first impression." It was only natural that someone as out of her element as Iwasawa-san was would stumble a few times, but Mitamura-san struck me as the kind of person who would never forgive herself if she ended up embarrassing herself.

That said, I could see where Mitamura-san had been coming from. In the days leading up to my Talent High School interview, I'd gotten a haircut, would have worn a suit if they hadn't asked me to wear my uniform, and met with my guidance counselor to do a mock interview. Little was at stake at this meet and greet, but I wanted to make a good impression, so I checked myself over in the mirror, before turning to Edogawa-san for a second opinion.

"So, Edogawa-san," I said. "How do I look?"

"Perfect, Miura-san," Edogawa-san said.

"Thanks," I said. "It took me a while to get the hang of tying this tie, but doing it every day helped me learn how. I can't help but wish that women had to wear ties, so I'd have a use for this skill."

The Miura family had a yearly tradition in which we took a photo at the start of the school year- my parents wore suits while my sister and I wore our uniforms. In the photo we'd taken at the start of my first year of high school (my sister's last), Mom joked that she was the only one who wasn't wearing a tie, then put one on to rectify that. Mom looked quite nice, so a part of me hoped she'd wear the tie to work, assuming her employers would approve.

"They do if they're uniformed police officers," Edogawa-san said. "I think you'd look wonderful as a policewoman, Officer Miura... assuming you don't make detective."

"I'm glad you think so, Officer Edogawa," I said, "but who says I even have what it takes to join the police?"

"I think it's possible," Edogawa-san said. "Talent High School's titles recognize potential in one area; they never say what you _can't_ do. Nagato-sensei has asked us to spend the next few months thinking of alternative careers outside of our talents, and I'm sure you can come up with at least two or three viable options. After all, it's not as though everyone here has a career lined up."

I nodded, thanked Edogawa-san and set out to meet more of my talented schoolmates. Every time I talked with an Ultimate and learned about their struggles, weaknesses, quirks and other facts that weren't immediately obvious, I learned a lot about them and sometimes learned a little about myself.

* * *

Inside the gym, there were already a few of our upperclassmen milling about, all wearing the same uniforms as ours. A rough headcount indicated that even counting our classmates, roughly half of Class 32 had decided to come to the meet and greet. While most of the main course's student body had shown up, the gym was large enough that we could spread out throughout it in pairs and small groups, all having separate and private conversations.

I easily recognized the first one I talked with, Akira Azuki, the Ultimate Actress. She looked somewhat boyish as a result of her short hair, and I might even have mistaken her for a boy if not for her title and the fact that she was wearing a skirt (albeit seemingly reluctantly).

"Welcome to the party," Azuki-senpai said. "I'm Azuki, the Ultimate Actress."

"I'm Kaori Miura, the Ultimate Beginner's Luck," I said. "It's nice to meet you, Azuki-senpai."

We bowed to each other and said, "It's nice to meet you." While Azuki-senpai's speech was informal and to-the-point, she wasn't one to let a basic social courtesy go unreciprocated.

"So, Miura," Azuki-senpai said. "What's it like to see the Ultimate Actress in the flesh, and find out that she's a year ahead of you at school?"

I paused for a moment, thinking my answer over carefully. Rudeness was inadvisable, but since Azuki-senpai seemed like an honest person who said what was on her mind, it wouldn't be a good idea to flatter her, either.

"It's an honor," I said, "since you don't often get to meet someone like you. That said, I realize that you're more than just an actress, even if I don't know much about you apart from your talent, so I'd like to get to know you better."

"Good answer," Azuki-senpai said. "I don't know if I can just spill my guts and tell my life story in one meet and greet session, but I'm always glad to see someone who's willing to talk to me as a person."

"Thank you very much, Azuki-senpai," I said.

Azuki-senpai nodded, but remained silent for a moment, scrutinizing me carefully.

"I'm curious about one thing, though," Azuki-senpai said. "Are you always this polite?"

"I am to people like you, Senpai," I said. "Since you're my senpai and are older than me, I owe you at least this much respect."

"Gotcha," Azuki-senpai said. "And what if I was in Class 33 and you were in Class 32?"

"Then I'd call you 'Azuki-san' instead," I said. "As for you, I'd appreciate being called 'Miura-senpai,' but wouldn't make too big of a deal about it."

Some people would probably think I was a bit of a pushover, but I thought of it differently. Good manners were important, but mainly as a way to help smooth over otherwise difficult social interactions and please others. Demanding that other people show you the same amount of respect would defeat the purpose, to put it mildly. I appreciated it when people used honorifics after my name, but I also had to admit that I was happy that Yuuki-san was willing to address me as a friend would.

"Fair enough," Azuki-senpai said. "As you've probably figured out, I was in your shoes this time last year, meeting everyone from Class 31 who bothered to show up and meet us. Pretty much everyone from Class 32 who's attending this year also went last year."

"I thought so," I said, knowing that I'd meet Azuki-senpai's classmates sooner or later. "What were the people from Class 31 like?"

"They were pretty friendly and down-to-earth," Azuki-senpai said. "After all, a year before we met them, they were also new to this school. If this school was like a normal high school, you'd probably have had a chance to meet them last year."

"True," I said. "I have an older sister in that year. I'm sure you two would hit it off well."

Azuki-senpai nodded.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry," Azuki-senpai said, "since I'm not the type to lord over you guys just because I got here a year before you. You don't _have_ to call me 'senpai,' but since you'll probably do so anyway, do what you want."

"Thank you very much, Azuki-senpai," I said. "I'd like to get going and talk with some of the others, so please excuse me."

"No problem, Miura," Azuki-senpai said. "It was nice meeting you."

I said goodbye to Azuki-senpai and went on my way. The meet and greet was off to a good start, so I felt a little better about meeting everyone else from Class 32 who'd bothered to show up.

* * *

I saw a dark-haired girl with glasses talking with Edogawa-san.

"Mitamura-san?" I said reflexively, before realizing that while this girl looked like Mitamura-san, her hair was in a different style. Mitamura-san wore hers in a bun, while this girl wore hers in a side plait.

"Not quite," the girl said. "My name is Sayuri Sasaki, and I'm the Ultimate Manga Artist. I do see how I look like Mitamura-san, though."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Sasaki-senpai," I said. "I'm Kaori Miura, the Ultimate Beginner's Luck. It's nice to meet you."

We exchanged bows.

"So, Miura-san, Edogawa-san," Sasaki-senpai said, "is it all right if I use your first names?"

"Please feel free to, Senpai," I said. "Yuuki-san calls us that, too."

Edogawa-san nodded and Sasaki-senpai smiled.

"Certainly, Kaori-chan, Sae-chan," Sasaki-senpai said. "I met Ami-chan earlier. While I did gently suggest that she should ask permission before using first names, I do agree that she's easy to get along with."

"True," Edogawa-san said. "I suppose Mitamura-san declined your request to use first names?"

"She did," Sasaki-senpai said, "partly because Mitamura-san is a stickler for good manners, and partly because she keeps others at a distance. She did, however, agree to my request to just call me 'Sasaki-san,' and I'd appreciate it if you could, too; I don't care about distinctions between juniors and seniors."

"Then we'll do just that, Sasaki-san," I said. "After all, this event's about breaking down the barriers between our classes.:

Sasaki-san smiled, and said "Thanks, Kaori-chan."

"Anyway, Sae-chan," Sasaki-san said, "I've actually started reading your books in the very limited free time I have. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with the mystery genre, but you do seem to have earned your title."

"Thank you, Sasaki-san," Edogawa-san said. "I'm glad you're taking an interest in my work. While I'm interested in yours, I haven't had an opportunity to read it, since my father disapproves of your content."

"That's unfortunate, but not surprising," Sasaki-san said. "Since many same-sex relationships are portrayed as tame and chaste, I personally believed that the sex was an important part, and not just because a lot of people like to see it."

While I was only an amateur writer, even I knew that producing fiction involved balancing staying true to your artistic vision while pleasing your audience. Not many people liked a cynical and soulless cash grab (at least among those who recognized them for what they were), but while pandering wasn't a good idea, you had to aim to make something that people would enjoy.

"What about you, Kaori-chan?" Sasaki-san said.

"My parents wouldn't approve, either," I said, "but that's not the only issue. To be honest, I found the concept to be daring, but I wished that the main couple was a pair of women, rather than men."

"Oh," Sasaki-san said. "Does this mean you're a lesbian?"

I turned bright red and shook my head.

"N-Not necessarily," I said. "I've always liked strong female protagonists, like Edogawa-san's Aiko Aizawa, so I thought you could do a good job of it."

I felt even more embarrassed at making such a flimsy excuse. While I did honestly like good female characters, the fact that I hadn't read Sasaki-san's work gave me little reason to think she could pull it off.

"Fair enough," Sasaki-san said. "If you're not comfortable talking about it right now, that's fine. Of course, when you're ready, I'm willing to listen, and I'm sure Sae-chan would be, too."

Edogawa-san nodded in agreement, and I thanked her and Sasaki-san. While I still felt uncomfortable about admitting that I was attracted to girls, and worried about the fact that it didn't seem to be going away as I neared adulthood, I felt like I could trust them, or at least count on them not to judge me.

* * *

After Sasaki-san set off to meet the rest of our class, Edogawa-san and I split up. While we weren't close friends just yet, we saw each other every day, so we decided it was best to focus on meeting those in the class ahead of us.

I found Iwasawa-san talking with a girl who didn't even come up to her shoulder. I thought she was the young high schooler I'd heard about, but she seemed a bit too tall for that.

"Hello, Miura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "I'd like to introduce you to Chiyuri Nagato, the Ultimate Tech Support and Nagato-sensei's daughter. Nagato-senpai, this is my classmate, Kaori Miura, the Ultimate Beginner's Luck."

Nagato-san and I bowed to each other.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Nagato-senpai," I said. "I've heard about you."

"The pleasure is mine, Miura-san," Nagato-senpai said. "I was just talking with Iwasawa-san about a variety of things, such as how to use modern technology. Mo-I mean, Nagato-sensei and I are taking her to Mass tomorrow."

Iwasawa-san nodded. While she didn't seem like she was a Catholic, I could tell that she, a relative outsider, appreciated anyone making the effort to include her.

"Yes, that's true," Iwasawa-san said. "Mitamura-san offered to take me clothes shopping at the nearby mall that afternoon. Luckily, I should be done by then."

"Ah," I said. "I didn't think Mitamura-san was the kind of girl who went clothes shopping."

"She isn't," Iwasawa-san said. "She does, however, strongly believe in the importance of looking nice, since she's a disciplined and respectable person. When I told her that apart from church, I mainly wore overalls, she proposed looking into buying nicer clothing. She even offered to buy me a few outfits of her choice."

I wondered why Mitamura-san didn't suggest that Iwasawa-san learn how to shop online, but then I remembered that Iwasawa-san didn't even have a computer. Besides, it wouldn't be a good idea to overwhelm her with too much barely a week after she arrived.

"I understand where Mitamura-san is coming from," Nagato-senpai said, "but what you wear outside of school is your decision. Nagato-sensei generally wears a suit when teaching class, but _Mom_ dresses more casually when outside of school, often wearing jeans."

"What are those?" Iwasawa-san said.

"Basically, a pair of overalls without the bib or the suspenders," I said. "You'd probably enjoy wearing them."

"Well said, Miura-san," Nagato-senpai said. "In addition to my school uniforms, I've got a couple pairs of blue jeans and overalls in my closet."

Iwasawa-san's eyes lit up. While she liked the idea of wearing a school uniform, that didn't mean she liked the uniform itself.

"Sounds nice," Iwasawa-san said. "I'll probably buy a pair of jeans when I go shopping tomorrow."

"Anyway, I'm all for trying new things and broadening your horizons," Nagato-senpai said, "but I also think you should wear what you want to wear, within reason. I realize that this is a new experience for you, but it's perfectly fair to do what feels natural to you."

"I will," Iwasawa-san said. "Thank you very much, Nagato-senpai."

"You're welcome, Iwasawa-san," Nagato-senpai said. "It's been a while since I've gotten to play the senpai, and I'm always glad to offer guidance."

I could see where Nagato-senpai was coming from. Two years ago, she'd become a new student at her high school. Last year, she'd transferred to Talent High School and started anew there, being a kouhai to Class 31. Next year, she would either go on to become a first-year at college, or a new hire in the workforce. She seemed like a good senpai, so it seemed almost a waste for her to spend three years in a four year span as a newcomer.

"Well, I'll be going now," I said. "It was nice meeting you, Nagato-senpai."

"One moment, please, Miura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "I forgot to mention this earlier, but Kurogane-senpai wanted to talk with you."

"Thank you for letting me know," I said. "I'll keep an eye out for him."

I decided to get going for now, in case Kurogane-senpai wanted to see me, and because there were still several people who hadn't met me just yet..

* * *

I found Kurogane-senpai before long... or better said, he found me.

"Are you Miura-san?" Kurogane-senpai said.

"Yes, I'm Miura," I said. "You must be Hikaru Kurogane, the Ultimate Go Player."

"That's right," Kurogane-senpai said. "Iwasawa-san described you to me, but I heard about you when you defeated my cousin Shiro."

"I... I see," I said. "I'm sorry."

I bowed in apology. My parents stressed that apologizing didn't entitle me to forgiveness, nor should it, but it was a way of expressing my remorse. Whenever my sister or I misbehaved, Mom and Dad gave us the opportunity to apologize, and showed leniency based on how sincere our apology was. We usually got at least some punishment, but honest repentance tended to shave at least a day off our grounding.

Of course, judging by Kurogane-senpai's expression, he wasn't in the mood to punish me. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

"No, I should be apologizing," Kurogane-senpai said. "I'm sorry if Shiro has been rude to you."

Kurogane-senpai then bowed to me deeply.

"Maybe he has, Kurogane-senpai, but I actually understand how Kurogane-kun feels," I said. "His reputation took a hit after his loss to me, a complete novice at the game."

"That may be true," Kurogane-senpai said, "but I believe that he can bounce back from that a stronger player, and hope he will come to understand that someday.

"If he can, I respect that," I said. "The way my talent works is that the more I learn about the game, the less my Beginner's Luck helps me. By the time it abandons me completely, I'm still just a novice who can't compare to how much the professionals have done."

"Not many people can," Kurogane-senpai said. "Shiro has been an amazing player for as long as I've known him, and he soon got to the point at which I couldn't keep up with him. I'm proud of him, but couldn't help but feel inadequate, which is why I don't play shogi anymore."

"I hadn't heard that you used to play shogi," I said. "In fact, I'm a bit surprised at someone who's mastered a game like go having trouble with something else."

"It's only natural," Kurogane-senpai said. "In any sort of pursuit, be it a career or a hobby, you try your best and get as far as your ability takes you, a bit like an arcade game that doesn't have the option to continue. My goal is to get a 'high score,' or whatever's the equivalent, so while I've enjoyed success thus far, I won't rest on my laurels just yet."

That was an apt way of putting it. The few times I'd gotten a high score at the arcade (usually over the default high score), I was determined to go further, and make my best score even better. While I wasn't near being the best at anything I did, and generally had to work hard just to do well, I saw ambition and the desire to better oneself as positive traits that fostered success.

"I see," I said. "I suppose it only makes sense that Ultimates work hard at their given pursuits, too."

"Everyone who accomplishes anything of meaning does," Kurogane-senpai said. "I'm sure that if you choose a pursuit and stick with it, you'll have a result you can be proud of."

I thanked Kurogane-senpai for his kind words, since while he didn't know me, they were an undeniable truth. Perhaps not all my pursuits would bear fruit, but someday, I could find something I was "meant" to do.

* * *

I saw Yuuki-san talking with a young girl who seemed like she was young enough to be in her last year of elementary school or her first year of middle school..

"Hey, Kaori-chan," Yuuki-san said. "Have you had the chance to meet Miharu-senpai yet?"

"Not yet," I said, before turning to the young girl. "I'm Miura, and it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Miura-san," Miharu-senpai said. "My family name is Mihama, but you can call me by my first name if you so desire. It's nice to meet you"

We bowed to each other.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mihama-senpai," I said. "I'll consider your offer, but you seem quite polite, so I may as well respond in kind."

"Thank you very much, Miura-san," Mihama-senpai said. "There is a reason for why I act the way I do. Since it is unusual, albeit not unprecedented, for someone my age to come to this school, I must make an effort to act maturely in order to fit in."

I thought back to some research I did back when I first heard about Mihama-senpai. Two other young children Mihama-senpai's age- a boy and a girl- had been admitted to Talent High School at eleven and graduated at thirteen; the boy, the Ultimate Child Prodigy, had been in Class 5, while the girl, the Ultimate Mathematician, had been in Class 18.

"Or else what, Miharu-senpai?" Yuuki-san said. "Are they gonna kick you out if you act like a little kid?"

"Nothing so drastic, Yuuki-san," Mihama-senpai said, "but it is possible to no longer belong in a given organization even if you have not yet been removed. I do not believe that bad grades or bad behavior will cost me my place in this school, but I must be mindful of how others see me"

Yuuki-san sighed.

"I thought so," Yuuki-san said. "You remind me of Reiko-chan."

"Who?" Mihama-senpai said.

"She means Mitamura-san," I said. "I don't know if you've met her, Mihama-senpai, but she's a serious girl with dark hair and glasses. She looks like Sasaki-san."

Mihama-senpai's eyes lit up. I didn't know if Mihama-senpai remembered Mitamura-san's first game, or if Mitamura-senpai had even bothered to provide it, but my clarification was enough to jog her memory.

"Oh, her," Mihama-senpai said. "I heard she has a reputation as a mature, serious and intelligent young lady, but why did you bring her up, Yuuki-san?"

"Pretty much for those reasons," Yuuki-san said, "but also 'cause Rei- er, Mitamura-chan doesn't ever lighten up. Sure, she'll probably graduate from here with honors, get into a good college and get a good job, but what if she doesn't manage that? It seems like she'd be crushed if she didn't get what she wanted."

"You're probably right, Yuuki-san," I said, "but it's only natural that after investing so much time and effort into her dream, Mitamura-san would have an emotional investment in it, too."

"I know, Kaori-chan," Yuuki-san said, before turning back to Mihama-senpai. "Maybe it's just me, Senpai, but I know I'll have to give up being a cheerleader someday, just like my big bro will have to quit football after he graduates from college. I'm all for you taking your studies seriously, but I also think people like you and Mitamura-chan should loosen up and enjoy your youth a little."

Mihama-senpai paused to consider Yuuki-san's advice. While Yuuki-san wasn't the greatest student, and would probably agree that Mihama-senpai was much smarter, Yuuki-senpai still had several more years of life experience, so Mihama-senpai could benefit from listening to her.

"Thank you for the advice, Yuuki-san," Mihama-senpai said. "I do, in fact, try to relax around my friends. Perhaps I can count you two among them as well."

"That'd be awesome!" Yuuki-san said. "You seem really polite, so I'm sure we'll get along just great."

I nodded in agreement. It was a bit too soon to commit to anything, but Mihama-senpai had made a good first impression on me... and not just by trying to seem mature.

Before long,Mitamura-san arrived.

"You must be Mihama-senpai," Mitamura-san said. "I am Mitamura, and I hope Yuuki-san is not causing you too much trouble."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mitamura-san," Mihama-senpai said as the two bowed, "and no, she is not. The two of us and Miura-san had an enlightening conversation about acting one's age."

"Is that so?" Mitamura-san said, at which point Yuuki-san and I nodded. "Then that is good."

"Yep," Yuuki-san said. "Speaking of which, I've been thinking; would you like to be called Mitamura-chan as a compromise? Or how about Reiko-san?"

Mitamura-san sighed, seemingly amused.

"Please call me whatever you want, Yuuki-san," Mitamura-san said. "I may not approve of the familiarity you show me, but I know better than to try to stop you."

"All right, 'Reiko-chan' it is," Yuuki-san said. "I'll leave you to get to know Miharu-senpai."

As Yuuki-san left before Mitamura-san could say "That is Mihama-senpai to you," I also excused myself. While Yuuki-san and Mihama-senpai seemed like polar opposites, one being lighthearted and familiar, the other being serious and formal, they seemed to get along well because they respected each other's differences. Perhaps someday, Yuuki-san and Mitamura-san could have a similar friendship.

* * *

While Yuuki-san introduced herself to Azuki-senpai, I happened upon Katsura-san, who was offering business cards to two of her seniors.

"Thank you very much for your business card, Katsura-san," one girl said, "but I think Himeno is the one you should be giving it to."

"Oh, I certainly plan to give it to Himemiya-senpai," Katsura-san said, "but since I plan on giving them to all my classmates as a matter of course, I wanted to give one to you too, Tsukimura-senpai."

The other girl, whom I assumed was Himemiya-senpai, nodded approvingly.

"That's a good approach to have," Himemiya-senpai said. "Many people hope to ingratiate themselves with me in order to gain my father's favor, but I alone cannot do much for them, even if I would want to. In fact, I am the youngest of my siblings, so I will not inherit the family business. I hope that is not a problem for you."

Katsura-san shook her head.

"Not at all, Senpai," Katsura-san said, "since I'm not going to inherit my father's company, either. Not only am I his youngest daughter, but he doesn't simply plan to pass down his company to his children."

"Ah, interesting," Himemiya-senpai said. "I'd like to hear more about your siblings."

As Katsura-san and Himemiya-senpai started on an in-depth discussion of their families, I quietly took my leave, planning to come back and speak with Himemiya-senpai when she was not occupied.

* * *

I saw Inoue-kun talking with the twins, whom I'd heard about in advance. Some of the popular entertainers in our school had a lot of media exposure even before they first got scouted, and Dragon Girl was no exception.

"Hello, Miura-san," Inoue-kun said as I walked up, "I'd like to introduce Tatsuki and Taiga Tachibana, the Ultimate Guitarist and Songwriter. Tatsuki-senpai's on the left and Taiga-senpai's on the right... right?"

"You're right, Inoue-kun," Tatsuki-senpai said. "It's nice to meet you, Miura-san. You can use our first names if you'd like to keep us separate"

I nodded, but knew that the twins probably didn't know my first name at this point.

"Thank you, Tatsuki-senpai," I said. "You can call me 'Kaori' if you'd like."

"I'll keep that in mind, Miura-san," Tatsuki-senpai said. "For now, I'm a bit more comfortable sticking with your last name, which I do for pretty much everyone besides Taiga."

I nodded to concur. While I didn't call any of my friends by their first names, I was perfectly fine with being called by my first name. Part of this was because it was easier to go along with it than to raise an objection, and another part was because I didn't have to worry about how the other person would have to say about my granting them permission.

"Anyway," Taiga-senpai said, "we were just talking with Inoue-kun about how things were in America. Did you say that I'd call my sister 'Tatsuki' rather than 'sis'?"

"That's right," Inoue-kun said. "You would use 'sis' sometimes as a term of endearment, though, but it's not as though you'd have to acknowledge Tatsuki-senpai as your older sister."

"Ah," Taiga-senpai said. "And I suppose that you'd call us by our first names, even if we weren't twins?'

"Right again," Inoue-kun said. "Not only are Americans more casual about first names, but they don't really recognize seniority. When I was in the Gay-Straight Alliance back in middle school, I called the president , who was a year older than me,'Val'."

"I see," Tatsuki-senpai said. "Personally, Inoue-kun, it's a bit hard to imagine me using first names on many people besides Taiga, but I can see the appeal. It got confusing when one of our middle school teachers called us 'Tachibana' even though we were in the same class."

"That happened sometimes," I said. "In my first year of middle school, there was a Tanaka-kun and a Tanaka-san- respectively a boy and a girl- in my homeroom. It's a good thing my teachers were polite enough to use honorifics on their students."

My mom wasn't thrilled with the teachers who called her daughters "Miura," saying it was their prerogative as authority figures, but saying that if she were a teacher, she would be more respectful of her students. Since Mom used "-san" on virtually everyone who didn't warrant a particular job-related title, she and Nagato-sensei would probably get along very well, if only because they were naturally polite.

"Well, things might get awkward with Nagato-sensei," Taiga-senpai said, "since she'd use 'san' on both Tanakas. That said, we don't have much to complain about with her. Nagato-sensei's strict but fair, and while she demands respect, she also treats her students like adults."

As we talked about Nagato-sensei for a little bit, I couldn't help but think ahead to the future. Two years from now, I would graduate from this school. Another two years later, I would legally be an adult. Two years after that, I'd graduate from college and enter the workforce. Six years was a long time, but every two years, I'd take another significant step toward maturity and independence, so I appreciated that Nagato-sensei was willing to consider me mostly there.

* * *

Soon afterward, I found Tsukimura-senpai by herself. I wasn't sure if she'd talked to almost everyone else, or if not many people were interested in getting to know her, but I eagerly seized the opportunity to make her acquaintance.

"There you are, Tsukimura-senpai," I said. "I was hoping to talk to you earlier, but you were busy."

"Ah, I think I saw you earlier," Tsukimura-senpai said. "I think it was when Himeno and I were talking with Katsura-san, um...

"I'm Miura," I said. "Kaori Miura. It's nice to meet you, Senpai."

"Likewise, Miura-san," Tsukimura-senpai said, and we bowed to each other, "but I must confess that I'm surprised that you're so interested in meeting me, the Ultimate Handmaiden."

"In other words, a maid?" I said. "Even if you don't think it's all that impressive, I think it's amazing that you spent your entire life mastering this talent."

"Thank you very much," Tsukimura-senpai said. "Of course, everyone else can say the same."

I sighed and shook my head.

" _Almost_ everyone," I said. "Did you hear about why I got into Talent High School?"

"No, I have not," Tsukimura-senpai said, "nor do I understand your 'Ultimate Beginner's Luck."

I paused, realizing that I'd have to start from the beginning.

"It's basically what the name implies," I said. "For the first few times I play a board game, I'm incredibly lucky, and am able to defeat champion players. However, the effect wanes over time, as I practice and gain more experience, and completely deserts me while I'm just an amateur. If I had to graph it, my Ultimate Beginner's Luck would be an exponential decrease, whereas my actual skill would be a slow and steady increase, with my performance being based on the higher value."

Tsukimura-senpai nodded.

"So if I understand correctly," Tsukimura-senpai said, "it would be like if, on your first day on the job, you could provide service fit for the Emperor, but by the end of your first week, you couldn't wash a dish without breaking one?"

"It wouldn't apply to maid work, Senpai," I said, "but yes. It gives me fifteen minutes of fame, but not enough to actually make a career out of. Because of that, I realize I'm different from the rest of you who are naturally talented."

While Tsukimura-senpai politely waited for me to finish speaking, she didn't seem convinced. After another moment, she shook her head, then spoke.

"I don't think so, Miura-san," Tsukimura-senpai said. "I may have a 'talent' for maid work, but I've been trained in it since I was young. Himeno discovered that she had a knack for archery, but worked hard to train herself in it because it was the one thing she saw of as 'hers'. The title you got from Talent High School doesn't necessarily reflect your potential, nor do all the people who failed to get a title necessarily lack any potential whatsoever. As for what that potential is, it's up to you to figure out."

"You're right," I said. "Thank you very much, Tsukimura-senpai."

"You're welcome," Tsukimura-senpai said. "Personally, I may ultimately choose a path other than being a maid- in fact, Himeno hopes I will. I've brainstormed more than a few ideas, from putting my cleaning skills to use as a custodian to possibly settling down and becoming a housewife."

"Is that so?" I said. "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what you pick."

I said goodbye to Tsukimura-senpai for now, with a lot to think about. I'd once thought that the Ultimates had a clear path ahead to whatever career goals they had in mind, whether mundane or ambitious, but Tsukimura-senpai didn't seem to have made up her mind just yet. If she had the courage to seriously consider stepping off the path she'd always known, then maybe I could at least make an effort to choose a career for myself.

* * *

Before long, the event started winding down. I took the chance to say hello to Higurashi-senpai, our student council president.

"Why hello," Higurashi-senpai said. "I'm Nobuhiro Higurashi, the Ultimate Public Speaker and president of the Talent High School student council."

"I'm Kaori Miura, the Ultimate Beginner's Luck," I said. "It's nice to meet you, Higurashi-senpai."

We bowed to each other.

"By the way," I said, "would you prefer to be addressed by name or by your title?"

"Either's fine, Miura-san," Higurashi-senpai said, "but to be honest, I won't be student council president for much longer, so you may as well get used to calling me by name. Part of the reason is that the senior class usually cedes the position to the junior class."

I nodded. Even in a school as prestigious as Talent High School, third-years still had to worry about college entrance exams, so they might not have time for student government.

"And the other part?" I said.

"To be honest, I don't feel as though I accomplished as much as I could have," Higurashi-senpai said. "Schools are run by adults that are generally ten to twenty years older than those they teach, if not more. While the youths do need adult guidance, they can also use a representative among their peers, one that they chose themselves. This not only gives them some say in their education, but also help prepare them to participate in democracy."

"That sounds like a good approach, Senpai," I said, "but why aren't you satisfied?"

Higurashi-senpai sighed.

"Because not many people participate," Higurashi-senpai said. "Since I was the only candidate for student council president, I won by default. Having the entirety of the electorate choose you is a meaningless victory if no one else participates."

"Technically speaking, they _do_ have a choice," I said, "to vote for you or not vote at all. It wouldn't change who ended up becoming president, but if only a few people voted for you, then you wouldn't have any real authority. But I do agree that they deserve at least one alternative, as long as that person's competent and trustworthy."

"Quite right," Higurashi-senpai said. "I've heard that many people are apathetic toward politics because they view all the politicians as concerned only with their own gain and out of touch with their constituents. As long as your class has at least one aspiring student council president who's good for the role, I guess I can live with that."

I agreed, before stepping aside to let Fukuda-kun introduce himself to Higurashi-senpai. For now, I decided it was best not to mention that I was not much of a leader. There were others, even in our small class, that were more suitable, and perhaps we'd find the president we needed.

* * *

As people started leaving, Himemiya-senpai walked up to me.

"Hello, Miura-san," Himemiya-senpai said. "I noticed you were talking to Kanae earlier."

I paused a moment, as I struggled to recall Tsukimura-senpai's first name. One downside of calling each other by our last names was that we had trouble remembering people's first names.

"Ah, Tsukimura-senpai?" I said. "I wanted to get to know everyone in Class 32, so it's only natural for me to talk to her."

"I see," Himemiya-senpai. "Does the fact that she's my maid have anything to do with it?"

"Why would it?" I said. "The only reason I can think of is that she mastered her craft and earned her spot in this school."

"That's good to hear," Himemiya-senpai said. "Most people would either conclude that Kanae was beneath their notice, or only spend time with her out of an obligation to be nice to their lessers, something that implicitly acknowledges such people as below them."

I shook my head.

"Well, I don't think of it that way, Senpai," I said. "My mom taught me to be polite to _everyone_ , regardless of age, gender, social status or whatnot. If Tsukimura-san were my maid, Mom would ask me to treat her the same way, not out of obligation, but because she couldn't think of any reason why Tsukimura-senpai wouldn't deserve it."

Himemiya-senpai smiled.

"Neither can I," Himemiya-senpai said, "nor can my classmates. You probably met Akira earlier, a blunt and brutally honest girl who talks to all of us as her equals. She may not have much in common with you in terms of personality, but she doesn't treat Kanae any differently, either, which is the first requirement I have for anyone who wishes to befriend me."

"There are others?" I said.

"Indeed, Miura-san," Himemiya-senpai said. "It's a bit premature to call us friends just yet, but if you're willing to get to know Kanae, I'm willing to get to know you. Let's talk again some time."

"Yes, let's, Himemiya-senpai," I said. "Thank you very much."

Before long, Tsukimura-senpai arrived. When she did, she and Himemiya-senpai said goodbye to me, and left together, resulting in my having a great deal to think about. Some social relationships were inherently unequal, but in other cases, that inequality could be overcome. I still felt a bit out of place among the talented Ultimates, but none of them seemed to feel the same way- even the senior class, whom I owed respect for being a year ahead of me, seemed to consider that respect anything from "nice but not mandatory" to "completely unnecessary." If that was true, then perhaps I could rethink my relationship with the classmate I was closest with.

* * *

Eventually, everyone started to leave. While the event was scheduled to last for an hour, people were free to come and go at their discretion, and most of them had already done so.

I found Edogawa-san standing at the door to the gym, waiting for me. As I walked over, we sarted to leave together.

"So, Miura-san," Edogawa-san said. "How did you find Class 32?"

"They were surprisingly approachable," I said. "I personally thought they'd be a bit more intimidating, but they- or at least the ones who showed up- are relatively friendly."

"I guess being a senpai means different things to different people," Edogawa-san said. "Mitamura-san would be a strict yet kind senpai, and would probably treat her kouhais the same way she treats Iwasawa-san, seeing herself as the teacher and them as the students. Sasaki-san, however, would prefer that her kouhais treat her like a schoolmate who just happens to be a grade above them."

I agreed, and also noted that the mentorship aspect of the relationship was also a factor, one that depended on the kohai. Iwasawa-san needed a lot of help with technology, fashion and probably schoolwork, which Mitamura-san and Nagato-senpai could probably give her. Sasaki-san, however, didn't have much to teach me- unlike her assistants, I wasn't an aspiring manga artist- which probably was part of the reason why she was more casual with me.

"Speaking of different meanings," I said, "I was a bit surprised she was so eager to ask us permission to use our first names, just after meeting us."

"Unlike Yuuki-san, who didn't even ask before calling us by our names?" Edogawa-san said with a grin. "How long is she supposed to wait?"

"I don't know, Sae," I said. "Personally, I've used last names and '-san' on my friends- all of whom were girls- simply because I never worked up the courage to ask them to use first names. I probably would have said yes if they'd asked me, but..."

I trailed off, only noticing my mistake when it was too late to correct it. Since I valued my budding friendship with Edogawa-san, I was afraid of offending her.

"Can I take that to mean that you'd be fine with my calling you 'Kaori'?" Edogawa-san said. "Because I'm _more than_ fine with you using my first name."

"I'm glad to hear that, Sae," I said. "And yes, you can call me 'Kaori.' I was just so nervous about taking such a big, if seemingly minor step that I didn't think to ask."

"That makes two of us, Kaori," Sae said. "But I'm glad you took that step with me."

At the time, I didn't have any idea what Sae was talking about. She was popular and well-respected, and Mitamura-san was the only member of Class 33 (besides Hoshino-kun and Kurogane-kun, obviously) who had a less than favorable view of her, but I didn't yet understand that this didn't equate to being friends with everyone. Despite that, I was able to understand and appreciate what this gesture of friendship meant, and went back to the dorms with a spring in my step.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

This chapter is the first in which the members of Class 32 and Class 33 interact with each other. There may be spoilers for Where Talen Goes On Vacation from this point forward.

One thing I've noticed is that the female characters in both of my fics tend to be somewhat nicer and more sociable than the males, which is why more of the former attend the event.

The omake shows Sasaki, Miura and Edogawa pondering what might happen if Class 32 and Class 33's relationships were reversed.

* * *

 **Omake**

Sae and I had lunch with Sayuri-san one day, some time after switching to calling her by her first name. She was probably the one person outside of our class we saw the most often, although I did see Himemiya-senpai and Tsukimura-senpai from time to time.

"I'm curious, you two," Sayuri-san said. "How do you think things would be different if I and my classmates were Class 33, while the two of you and your classmates were Class 32?"

"Let me see..." I said. "I guess Sae and I would start out calling you 'Sasaki-san', just like we used to. After all, it seems like the most polite way to address a female kohai."

"I agree," Sae said. "Depending on how things progressed, we might eventually switch to calling her 'Sayuri-chan.' That said, Sayuri-san, I doubt you'd be so eager to call us 'Sae-chan' and Kaori-chan', would you?"

Sayuri-san shook her head.

"Not at all," Sayuri-san said. "I'd stick with 'Edogawa-senpai' and 'Miura-senpai' a first, and subtly drop hints that you could call me by my first name. Whether you'd be willing to let me call you by yours, however, would be up to you."

"So in other words, Sae and I hold all the cards just because we're a year older?" I said.

Sayuri-san solemnly nodded. Despite her friendly and egalitarian nature, she was significantly more formal and respectful when it came to those who were above her- her teachers, the students of Class 31, her editors and older manga artists.

"Indeed," Sayuri-san said, "which is why I'm not fond of relationships between senpais and their kohais. In those cases, the kohai chases after the senpai, who somehow chooses to recognize that one person, out of their many admirers. It seems like there would be a severe power imbalance, unless the terms of the relationship were renegotiated."

"You're right about that, Sayuri-san," Sae said, "but really, I think any relationship can naturally change. Just as strangers can become friends, people in a senpai-kohai relationship can come to see each other as equals, friends and perhaps lovers."

"Good point, Sae-chan," Sayuri-san said. "My dad was my mom's senpai at school, and they did come to love each other, even if there were... other problems with their relationship. Likewise, Kanae-chan started out as Himeno-chan's servant, but was able to accept Himeno-chan's friendship. Of course, if Mitamura-san were my senpai, she'd be quite cross with me if I didn't show her the proper respect."

I noticed that this was one of the few times Sayuri-chan had ever talked about her parents, and she'd changed the subject just as quickly as she'd brought it up. That said, there was something more relevant on my mind. Sae had been the person my age whom I'd admired most, but over time, I'd gradually started to see her as a classmate and a friend. Perhaps someday, our relationship would evolve even further, and a part of me hoped that it would.


	7. Making the Grade

**Making the Grade**

 _Azuki's POV_

Midway through May, we saw our exam results posted on the first floor, near the school store. Some of us were eager, others were afraid, and still others just saw them as business as usual, but after we heard, the sixteen of us in Class 32 headed over as a group to check out the rankings.

Mihama was at the top of the list, to no one's surprise, and her score was nearly perfect. Some of us might have been curious as to whether someone would beat her, but not necessarily out of jealousy. Most of us knew she was out of our league, even those who were doing fairly well ourselves.

"Congratulations, Miharu-chan!" Sayuri said. "I knew you could do it."

"Thank you very much, Sasaki-san," Mihama said, humbly and politely.

Kirishima was in second place, and faintly smiled. While he was the Ultimate Geneticist, rumor had it that his skill in the other types of science was on par with college students, so he was probably the only one of us who was on par with Mihama on any subject. He didn't slack off in any of his other subjects, which kept him ahead of most of the pack.

Kumakura was in third place. From what I heard, he didn't specialize in any one subject, but he definitely wasn't bad at any, either.

"Great work, Kumakura," Yamazaki said.

"Ah, it's nothing, Yamazaki-kun," Kumakura said. "Studying, like training, is just a matter of knowing the proper methods. You do need to try hard, but you also need to make sure you're using your time well. At least with academics, there isn't any risk of you getting hurt if you do something the wrong way."

Kumakura was trying to sound encouraging, but he only ended up making Yamazaki feel depressed. Being told that something you suck at is supposed to be easy less often sends the message that "You can do it if you try," as it says "If you're bad at something this easy, you must be pretty damn incompetent." It didn't help that the people who weren't great students were rarely optimistic about anything school-related.

Himeno was next, in fourth place, a couple points below Kumakura. I didn't know how strict her parents were about grades, but they wouldn't have too much to complain about with this level of competition.

"Excellent work, Himeno-sama," Kanae said.

Himeno blushed. At this point, the two still hadn't worked out the awkwardness that sometimes came from Kanae having to think of herself as Himeno's servant, just as Nagato was still a bit distant with me.

"Thank you, Kanae," Himeno said, "and like I said earlier, please don't call me '-sama' at school."

"Yeah, congratulations, Himeno," I said.

"Thank you, Akira," Himeno said. "You did well, too."

My name was immediately after Himeno's. While I probably didn't have what it took to get all the way to the top of my class, even if I wasn't acting, I was always happy for results like these. Right after us was Higurashi, who seemed reasonably pleased with himself, even if he wasn't the type to brag.

In seventh place, there was Sayuri, who let off a sigh of relief. The top three were "great," and the next three were "really good," so we were down to "pretty good." Obviously, a rank like this wasn't ideal, but it was all some of us could hope for.

"That's... better than I thought," Sayuri said. "We have some smart people in our class, so I was worried I might not be able to keep up, but this is good. My parents won't have any objections to my continuing to draw manga."

"Do they want you to get a good education?" Mihama said.

"Yes, they do," Sayuri said, "since they know my manga career won't last forever. Because of that, they expect me to take my studies seriously, and because I understand, I do as they say."

Karita was in eighth place, and he had a satisfied smile on his face. I hadn't figured he was so much of a "glass half full" guy.

"I'm a bit surprised to see you midway down the list, Karita," I said. "I thought you'd be higher up."

"Why's that, Azuki-san?" Karita said. "Because you assumed I'd cheat?"

"Well, yeah," I said. "If nothing else, you probably don't have anything against it, right?"

Karita gave me a "Tsk-tsk," and wagged his finger. I suspected that con artists like him secretly thought that most people were morons.

"It'd be pretty suspicious if someone like me turned in perfect papers time and time again," Karita said, "and for good reason, since unlike Mihama-san, I'm not smart enough to manage this. At least this way, it's safer. As a decent student, I don't stand out from the pack, and don't draw too much attention- positive or negative."

Mihama looked a bit uncomfortable, as did Kurogane. Since they were quite far apart in the rankings, I could tell that their similar reactions were due to different reasons.

"Even if you aren't really trying, you're doing better than some people who are giving it their all," Kurogane said. "I can't make any excuses for my grades, but at the very least, I can say that I did my best."

Nagato nodded in agreement, as did Kanae. Kurogane sat at ninth place, while Nagato and Kanae were tenth and eleventh, respectively.

"I'm curious about something, Kanae," I said. "Did you not have time to study because the Himemiyas kept you too busy?"

"That's not it, Akira," Himeno said. "My family does expect Kanae to help out, but also wants her studies to come first. If she starts failing her classes, they'll reduce her chores and have her study instead. They do the same thing when exams are coming up."

"Yes, that is true," Kanae said. "I appreciate their efforts, even if I am not the sort of person who makes good use of them."

Nagato sadly nodded. She always followed the rules, showed respect to her peers and teachers, and showed up to class whenever she was well enough to get out of bed, so it was a damn shame that her grades weren't higher. Of course, she was luckier than some. Kojima came to mind, since he was twelfth.

"Well, shoot," Kojima said. "I guess I would've done better if some of the math problems involved calculating the damage a critical hit from a steel sword does to a target wearing chain mail."

"That's the way the cookie crumbles," I said. "Not all of us have talents that are useful for taking tests."

"Azuki-san's right," Nagato said. "Mo- I mean Nagato-sensei strongly believes that while developing our talents is important, so is keeping up with our studies. That's why she's glad that this school has ordinary classes, unlike Hope's Peak Academy."

Tatsuki and Taiga were tied for thirteenth place. Some would wonder if they copied off each other's papers, but not only were their grades not so hot, but Nagato-sensei had purposely sat them in opposite corners of the room to avert this. The simpler explanation was that as two people who came from the same family, went to school together, and had similar interests, they had almost identical aptitude for school.

Asakura was second to last, and judging by the scowl on his face, he wouldn't have been mollified if the ranking had given him fourteenth rather than skipping to fifteenth because of the tie (although he was a fair distance behind the twins). Perhaps he was jealous of Chiyuri, but that jealousy would probably be better aimed at the nine people ahead of her. In any case, he probably was glad he had someone he could look down upon- Yamazaki, who was dead last.

Most of us said nothing once we saw the ranks of the unfortunate souls in the bottom quarter. I wasn't especially good at saying the right thing in situations that involved delicacy, so I kept my mouth shut. The most I knew was that as wise as Nagato-sensei was to make us focus on our education, it didn't do much good.

In the end, even though most of us were working our asses off, the reality wasn't likely to change. Those at the top stayed at the top, those who were doing well were content with what they had, those who were struggling had to keep struggling lest they fail, and those who were failing just sucked it up. In the end, you could be jealous of those above you or pity those below you all you wanted, but in the end you had to worry most about yourself. So as we parted ways for now, I was fairly sure that most of us did so hoping that they would move up a few ranks or keep the ranks they had, even if it meant overtaking or halting the advances of their classmates.

* * *

 _Chiyuri's POV_

That evening, Mom and I had dinner together. While I stayed in the dorms and ate with my schoolmates, dinner was our chance to spend time as mother and daughter, rather than teacher and student. The same was true this evening, even if we ended up talking about school.

"Now that the midterm grades have been posted, Chiyuri, I'd like to talk about them," Mom said, "as your mother, rather than as your teacher."

"Yes, Mom," I said. "I know what you're going to say; 'You can do better.'"

"You're right about that," Mom said, "but I don't mean 'you're not doing well enough right now.' I believe that all of my students can improve themselves. This even applies to Mihama-san, a prodigy that few teachers ever see in their classrooms."

In Mihama-san's case, it probably helped that she skipped several grades, resulting in some teachers in her schools never having her in class.

"I know," I said. "And because of that, I always try to do better, even if I don't get as much mileage out of my efforts as someone like Mihama-san."

"That's all I'm asking for," Mom said.

I silently concurred and ate some more of my food.

"As for the rest of your class," Mom said, "I'm actually fairly pleased overall. Some of the class are struggling, but as far as I know, everyone is putting in due diligence as students."

"I guess that's good," I said, "but what are you comparing my class to?"

"The newest class of Hope's Peak, of course," Mom said. "Do you remember Yukizome-san?"

I recalled that Yukizome-san had come over for dinner once and met me.

"I do," I said. "You said her friend inspired her to become a teacher, right?"

"Yes, that's her," Mom said. "Yukizome-san- or rather, Yukizome-sensei- recently started teaching at Hope's Peak Academy. If you'd gotten into that school instead of this one, you might have had her as your teacher, and probably would have been one of the few people who'd shown up to class."

While my teachers weren't exactly impressed with my academic performance, they had good things to say about my attendance and behavior in class. Of course, I knew that was the minimum expected of any student, and the best students in my class weren't just smart, but also hard-working and well-behaved.

"It's that bad?" I said.

Mom nervously chuckled, then nodded.

"Maybe not anymore," Mom said, "since Yukizome-sensei was determined to change things there, starting with getting the students to attend class."

"Baby steps, Mom," I said, noticing that Mom wasn't exactly impressed.

"That's an apt way of putting it," Mom said, "but the current situation isn't exactly Yukizome-sensei's fault. Hope's Peak not only promises a ticket to success in life, but also promises that the ticket will be easily obtainable, unlike the country's most prestigious high schools. If they started cracking down and required students to actually attend class and pass tests, a good portion of the talented Ultimates would rebel."

I knew Mom was right, but in my heart, I felt a bit of sympathy for the other Ultimates. Back at St. Mary's, one of the few students I'd talked with, among the best in my grade, told me that she'd ended up here because she'd failed to get into several other far more prestigious schools. St. Mary's wasn't a bad school, but it wasn't many people's first choice.

"I can understand how they feel," I said. "Some, like Azuki-san and Sasaki-san, would want time off to be able to work on their talents. Others, like Yamazaki-san, aren't the best at school."

"That may be true, Chiyuri," Mom said, "but while I believe in allowing talented young people to do what they're best at, I also believe in the importance of getting a good education, since their talents may not necessarily get them lifelong careers. As such, while I am willing to allow certain talent-related absences, I expect the students to make up any work they might miss. As for the students who do not do well in school, I simply expect them to at least try, so they can learn as much as they can."

I simply nodded, but I guess Mom thought I didn't seem fully convinced.

"I suppose this makes me come off as idealistic," Mom said. "A few of my colleagues and superiors respect my commitment to teaching, but wish I'd focus more on getting students ready for entrance exams. I concede that those things are important, but so is actually having a meaningful schooling experience."

"I think so, too," I said. "I know I'm not the greatest student, but even someone like me can get something meaningful out of my education."

"Good," Mom said. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, especially when it comes to treating me like any other teacher. That said, as long as you're my student and you fulfill your obligations, I'm duty-bound to teach you to the best of my ability."

While I had to admit that it could sometimes be awkward to have my mom as a teacher, having a teacher of her caliber made it all worthwhile. It was a bit of an adjustment to have to show greater respect to Mom while in class, but Mom believed that a good education required effort from both the teacher and the student, so it was up to me to hold up my end of the deal.

* * *

 _Himeno's POV_

I helped Kanae with her homework, as I often had throughout our childhood. While I enjoyed helping her, a part of me lamented that this once again reinforced Kanae's belief that I was better than her.

When I noticed Kanae was starting to lose focus, I decided we should take a break. Kanae seemed to agree, since she looked much more tired from a couple hours of studying than she was from a Sunday spent cleaning the house.

"I'm sorry, Himeno-sama," Kanae said. "I guess you're just smarter than I am."

"I don't think that's necessarily true, Kanae," I said. "Housework aside, you learned how to tie our necktie more quickly than I did."

"That's a practical skill," Kanae said. "You get a lot of practice when you have to wear it on a daily basis, and since wearing it is mandatory, you obviously have to learn quickly."

While Kanae could often be self-deprecating, this was a valid point, even if it didn't explain why some people learned a lot more quickly than others.

"I suppose," I said, "but I remember when you were learning how to cook. Our chef quizzed you on the ingredients used in various recipes, and you struggled with that, but when they actually let you in the kitchen, you were a natural. Apart from checking the cook book for the measurements and times, you could perfectly imitate the cooks just by watching them. They were especially impressed watching you cut konjac root."

"Good point, Himeno-sama," Kanae said. "I guess I'm just not that good at book learning."

"Maybe not," I said, "but while you may not have a talent for reciting facts from a book, you learn well by doing. You'd be an excellent archer."

"But probably not as good as you," Kanae said. "In any case, there are times when I'm amazed that I got into the same high school as you."

I'd known Kanae long enough to be well aware that her grades were significantly inferior to mine, and that it was pointless trying to convince her otherwise. Instead, I had to choose an equally true but more relevant fact to lift her spirits, and remind her of the worth she possessed.

"If I had to choose a word describe my feelings about that, it would be 'grateful,'" I said, "that we can once again go to the same school, and that Talent High School saw you as talented at being a maid as I am at being an archer. In that regard, we're equals, so don't forget that."

"I won't, Himeno-sama," Kanae said.

I smiled. Kanae still didn't think of herself as my equal, and possibly never would, but that didn't mean she didn't have value of her own. If I could get her to think about that value, and love herself, that would likely foster a healthier and more equal relationship between us.

* * *

 _Sasaki's POV_

Several weeks passed, and eventually, we started studying for our finals at the end of July. Miharu-chan helped me review some of the mathematical formulas that gave me trouble on the midterms.

"Thank you for your help, Miharu-chan," I said, "or should I say 'Mihama-sensei'?"

Miharu-chan blushed, apparently unused to being shown so much respect from a older girl, even affectionately.

"Please call me what you always do, Sasaki-san," Miharu-chan said. "I am simply happy that you would accept tutoring from the youngest student in the class."

"I think of it differently," I said. "I'm always happy to get help from our class's best student."

Miharu-chan seemed to accept that compliment, although to my knowledge, the rest of the class wasn't kicking down her door for tutoring. Some of us were satisfied with our grades or confident that we didn't need her help, while others, like Kanae-chan, had other tutoring arrangements, but still others could benefit from spending even a little time with Miharu-chan.

"Anyway, you're amazing," I said. "You handled these problems so easilly, even though you had trouble with them on the midterms."

Miharu-chan once again looked uncomfortable, but I could tell it was actually serious this time. Since I'd meant what I'd said as a compliment, I didn't know what had struck a nerve with her.

"I have a confession for you" Miharu-chan said. "I... deliberately got those questions wrong."

"Why is that?" I said. "Everyone knows you're the smartest student in our class."

"Perhaps they do," Miharu-chan said, "but some people also suspect me of cheating. One of my most vocal critics was an older boy who'd been the top student at my old high school's associated middle school."

And in other words, he'd likely reclaimed his spot now that Miharu-chan had transferred here. Of course, it was hard to think rationally when you were jealous, as I could tell from many romance stories featuring love triangles.

"Fortunately for me, no one had any evidence that I cheated," Miharu-chan said, "so the accusations were not taken seriously enough to warrant an investigation. Nevertheless, it was difficult to sense proctors giving me extra scrutiny during a test, or to hear people whisper about me."

"So in other words, they were envious of your success," I said, "and if that's the case, it wasn't right for them to treat you like that."

"No, it is not," Miharu-chan said, "but there was one justifiable reason behind their unease about me. Whenever someone like us achieves stardom in their chosen field, they become respected by many others. Obviously, if they were to fall from grace, such a fall would be highly painful for all concerned. How do you suppose your school would react if you got in trouble?"

I thought for a moment and remembered what Miharu-chan had been talking about. The summer of the year before we'd arrived, the Ultimate Lifeguard, a member of Class 31 who would have been our senpai, got distracted while on duty, resulting in a young woman nearly drowning, and another poolgoer saving her before he could. A third party who'd witnessed the rescue posted it on social media, and it quickly went viral. Talent High School, in full damage control mode, expelled the young man and revoked his title.

While I wasn't directly involved, I had mixed feelings about the whole affair. I understood that the former Ultimate Lifeguard deserved punishment for such a dereliction of duty, but also thought that the school was mainly motivated by the desire to save face, rather than the desire to do justice. Of course, my school would probably have done the same thing.

"Not well," I said. "Our school was rather strict about anything that could reflect badly on them, which meant extra scrutiny for student-athletes that competed with other schools, and even more for Ultimates. If I got into any trouble and ended up being kicked out of Talent High School, my old school definitely wouldn't welcome me back."

"The same goes for me," Miharu-chan said. "Ever since I first became known as a child prodigy, I inevitably drew attention to myself and my school. The only question is whether that is good or bad."

"I know," I said. "Of course, while many people are watching me to see if I might fail, others, like my friends, believe in me. As your friend, I would like to say this; if you ever get into trouble, you can tell me the truth, and I promise to hear you out."

"Thank you, Sasaki-san," Miharu-chan said. "You can expect the same of me."

We got back to work. Miharu-chan was certainly gifted, but it wasn't a gift that solely belonged to her. She was using that gift to help her classmates, and one day, would become a great lawyer who could help many other people. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be as smart as her, but the truth was that I was happy for her, and grateful to be her friend.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

As I've said before, Talent High School actually has regular classes and tests, unlike Hope's Peak Academy. Yukari stands out from her fellow teachers in that she actually tries hard to be a proper teacher to her students.

While Class 33's rankings are an omake in Fukuda's Free Time Events, I decided to go into more detail for Class 32.

Here's a brief "tier list" for the students in terms of academic prowess. The tiers are S(Academic genius), A(Honor student), B(Good at school) C(Average) D(Struggling) F(Barely passing/failing). A + sign signifies people who are between tiers. Keep in mind that while the ranks in the midterm give some idea for the students' standing in their class, they can vary from test to test.

S:Mihama

A+:Mitamura

A:Edogawa*, Kirishima

B+:Miura, Kumakura, Himemiya

B: Azuki*, Katsura, Inoue***, Hoshino, Higurashi

C+:Sasaki*, Karita**, Kagami**, Shiro,

C: Nagato, Hikaru, Tsukimura, Mizuhara, Akasaka

D+:Tezuka*, Taiga*, Tatsuki*

D:Sugiura, Kojima.

F+:Iwasawa***, Fukuda, Asakura

F:Sakuragi, Yamazaki, Yuuki

*Individual would be anywhere from a half-tier(Azuki, Edogawa, Tezuka) to a whole tier(the twins, Sasaki) higher if they invested the time spent on their talent on their studies.

**Individual is deliberately under-performing to avoid attracting attention. In Mihama's case, the difference is negligible, which is why she does not count.

***Inoue is S tier in languages.

****Iwasawa would be one and a half tiers higher in her hometown, which has a less demanding curriculum and does not cover certain subjects.


	8. White Day

**White Day**

 _Miura's POV_

By the middle of March, Japan had been consumed by violence and chaos. Students were warned not to leave campus for any reason after an incident at the end of February, in which a student at Mitamura-san and Sayuri-san's old school had been stabbed, apparently having been mistaken for Mitamura-san herself; there had been many other incidents, but this was the first that targeted a Talent High School student. On the same day, Kagami-kun returned from a few days away. He wouldn't tell the student council why he had left, but insisted that the school had given him permission- or rather, _orders_ \- to go. Mitamura-san spoke with the headmistress, who confirmed his account, and said we would start working to turn the school into a shelter.

The particulars of the project were relatively simple. The students would be responsible for securing iron plates on all windows to keep unwanted guests and polluted air out. Meanwhile, three of the most important jobs- securing the front door, closing off the emergency exits and installing an air purification system- would be left to adult professionals, since none of our talents would be suited to those tasks.

We began work on sealing the school after class the day we heard of the stabbing. Securing the plates on the window was a surprisingly simple task, and mainly involved the ability to follow basic directions, physical strength and coordination. As such, some of the less academically gifted but more athletic students, like Ami-chan, Iwasawa-san, Sakuragi-kun and Fukuda-kun, were the ones who were most in their element. The honor students weren't necessarily less useful, but having the intelligence necessary to solve complex equations, remember important historical dates, or write about complex literary themes didn't help all that much when it came to screwing a plate onto the wall.

As we stopped for the day, I noticed Iwasawa-san standing by herself. I'd spoken with Mitamura-san, who'd gotten the current news from the headmistress, so I decided to pass it along to her.

"Oh, Miura-san," Iwasawa-san said. "Are we done?"

"We are," I said. "After the air purifier is up and running, we will confirm that the school is completely sealed and run a systems test. If it passes, we'll be able to turn the school into a shelter whenever we need to... a day that is likely to come very soon."

"That's good," Iwasawa-san said. "If nothing else, we'll be safe, won't we?"

I nodded. I found it hard to accept that we were much more deserving of being hidden away from the chaos than the rest of the world, but I had to admit that I was grateful for this chance. I only wished that more people, including our loved ones, could receive similar protection.

"By the way, I've noticed that you seem troubled," I said. "I can't promise too much help, but I can at least hear you out."

"It's about my village," Iwasawa-san said. "I sent a letter to Mama and Papa two weeks ago, and I have yet to get a reply."

"That sounds troubling," I said, "but is not hearing from them for that long unusual? I don't know how long it takes for mail to get from Talent High School to your village or vice versa, not to mention how quickly your parents reply."

Iwasawa-san nodded. In a world with emails that could be sent in a moment, and the ability to call almost anyone at any time or anywhere, it was sometimes hard to remember how difficult keeping in touch was when snail mail was your only option.

"Yes," Iwasawa-san said. "Mama and Papa always respond to my letters promptly, and I do the same for theirs. so I have some idea of how long it takes for their reply to arrive. Since they wouldn't delay responding in a time like this, the best-case scenario is that delivery has been disrupted."

"Judging from how remote your village is, that seems likely," I said, "since I've heard that the postal services have been... having problems. It's not much consolation, but it's the most I can do for now."

"I understand," Iwasawa-san said. "Thank you, Miura-san; I'll try to look on the bright side."

"So will I," I said.

In hindsight, I was amazed that I didn't crack after everything I lived through near the end of my second year of high school. Our world was being turned upside down, our homes and families were in danger, and we were trapped inside our school, which wouldn't necessarily be absolutely safe. It was foolish to hold out unrealistic hope that things would get better, but even more foolish to give in to despair and accept that this was the end for all of us. Maybe thinking of things that way was why I was able to get through the Tragedy and everything that came afterwards with my sanity largely intact.

* * *

We held a class meeting that evening.

"Thank you for coming, everyone," Mitamura-san said. "I am pleased to report that the Shelter Plan has been finalized, and the school can be sealed whenever necessary, thereby protecting the faculty and the student body of Talent High School."

"Just us?" Akasaka-san said. "What about our families and friends outside?"

"I'm sorry, Kuro-chan," Katsura-san said. "The administration was quite adamant that no outsiders are to be allowed in here."

"Good thinking," Hoshino-kun said. "After all, if word gets out that there's a fallout shelter out there, people are gonna be killing each other to get inside."

"You raise a fair point, Hoshino-san," Nagato-senpai said, "but are you not worried for your family?"

Asakura-senpai laughed out loud.

"That's funny coming from someone whose only family works for Talent High School," Asakura-senpai said.

I didn't know it at the time, but Asakura-senpai's mother worked as a secretary for the headmistress, and his uncle was on the board. That only left his father's side of the family, but he was better off than most of us.

"Besides, you're forgetting something," Asakura-senpai said. "The people outside aren't just the victims of the Tragedy- they're the ones who started it. Letting them in is kind of like letting a sick person into a shelter for healthy people."

"Asakura-senpai is correct," Mitamura-san said. "The decision to save us all and leave the people outside to their fates was a harsh decision, but it was made to preserve symbols of hope that will help humanity rebuild."

"Indeed," Kirishima-senpai said. "It is utterly naïve to assert that all lives have equal value."

No one raised an argument to this, but everyone knew that their silence was more due to knowing that it wouldn't do any good than out of agreement with the more pragmatic members of the group. Akasaka-san wasn't the only one concerned about her family, just the only one to speak up, and the response she got hadn't allayed others' fears as much as it discouraged them from sharing their concerns. Having no desire to end this discussion on that note, I decided to offer an honest yet kind response.

"I understand many of you are worried for your families," I said, "since I count myself among your number. Unfortunately for all of us, these are difficult times, and require us to make difficult choices. We must see to our own survival, and trust our families to do what they can for themselves."

The rest of Class 32 and 33 was apparently satisfied with this, since the conversation shifted for more mundane concerns. Of course, I knew that they would never be fully at ease as long as our families were so far away from us, in grave danger. The most I could do was express my sympathy and stand with my classmates in these troubled times.

* * *

After the meeting broke up, I saw Kanae-san in the kitchen. Seeing her wearing a maid's kimono and her apron, I could really tell that she was the Ultimate Handmaiden.

"Hello, Kanae-san," I said. "Do you mind if I help out?"

"Certainly, Kaori-chan," Kanae-san said. "I'd appreciate it."

I took off my blazer and tie, rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

"I appreciate the remarks that you made," Kanae-san said. "You didn't deny how harsh reality was, but gave us reason to hope."

"That was the most I could do," I said. "I wish I could have thought of something to say about the decision to only include us in the Shelter Plan."

Kanae-san let off a sigh and nodded.

"I... don't know how well you know Asakura-san," Kanae-san said, "but he's always been that way. He's arrogant, he doesn't get along with anyone in his class or yours, especially not Chiyuri-chan... and he has a point about not opening the shelter to outsiders. I wish we could use the school to save as many people as possible, but there simply isn't any fair way to bring in additional people while keeping everyone who would seek to harm us out."

"That's a good point," I said, "but why didn't you say that to everyone else? I'm sure you could have put a more compassionate spin on arguments in favor of pragmatism."

"I'm glad you think so," Kanae-san said, "but I wouldn't be the right person. I'm an orphan who was raised by the Himemiya family, but not truly considered part of the family, so I can't claim to know what it's like to have my loved ones in danger."

"But you _do_ know what it's like to lose them, don't you?" I said.

Kanae-san shrugged.

"Maybe I do," Kanae-san said, "but truth be told, I was also hesitant to vindicate Asakura-san and Kirishima-san's belief that the talented elite are worth more than everyone else, namely people like... people like..."

"Like me?" I said.

"Oh, no, not you," Kanae-san said. "I was thinking about myself. The Ultimate Handmaiden is still a servant, after all, and there are many others with talents superior to mine."

"I don't think of it that way," I said. "I once thought of all the Ultimates as incredible people, Sae most of all. Now, I realize that talents aside, they're not so different from me. To me, you're not a servant, but a friend and a senpai."

"Thank you, Kaori-chan," Kanae-san said.

We turned around and saw Himemiya-senpai there, evidently waiting to talk to Kanae-san.

"Oh, hello, Himeno," Kanae-san said. "I'm almost done here."

"I'm sure you are," Himemiya-senpai said, "but why don't you take a break? Kaori and I can finish up here."

"Understood," Kanae-san said. "I'll see you once you're done."

Kanae-san bowed in gratitude and left.

"Kaori?" I said.

"If that's fine with you," Himemiya-senpai said. "I do use first names on my friends, after all."

"I'm a bit surprised that I qualify, Senpai," I said. "We've always gotten along, but I didn't think we were that close."

"I happened to hear the end of your conversation with Kanae," Himemiya-senpai said, "and have found that it perfectly fits your character. There aren't many who would willingly treat her as an equal without thinking of it as cause for earning some sort of medal for human decency. Doing so is one prerequisite for being my friend, and I'm happy to say you hit all the boxes."

I was tempted to play it off as nothing particularly special, but I knew that Himemiya-senpai would see that as proving her point.

"Thank you very much, Himemiya-senpai," I said, "or... Himeno-san, if I may."

"Absolutely," Himeno-san said, "but the '-san' isn't necessary."

"You're a year older than me, so it's only fair I show you respect," I said. "I'd call you 'Himeno-chan' if you were my age and fine with that."

"Fair enough," Himeno-san said. "I guess you're only comfortable using yobisute on Edogawa-san, which makes sense, because she's...er, your best friend."

For a moment, I thought Himeno-san was going to say something else, but if that was the case, she wasn't planning on sharing it with me.

"Anyway, let's finish up," Himeno-san said. "I don't want to keep Kanae waiting."

We finished the dishes, but I couldn't help but wonder what Himeno-san had been about to say. She hadn't spent all that much time with me, but was it possible that she already knew about my relationship with Sae?

* * *

I went back to my room in the evening, and called home. My parents and sister answered the phone, which had been set to speakerphone, and listened attentively to what I had to say.

"So your school's taking steps to protect you and your classmates," Mom said. "That's good news."

"Yes, it is, Mom," I said, "but I wish the three of you could come here and take shelter with me."

"I understand, Kaori," Dad said, "but think of it this way- at least one of us will be safe. As for the rest of us... I'm sure we'll manage somehow"

"I hope so, too," I said.

I knew all too well that there were times when one person's gain meant one or more others losing out. There were times when I'd wondered if I'd taken a spot in Talent High School away from a more deserving student, but the headmistress had reassured me that she hadn't chosen me out of pity, but because of interest in my rather odd talent.

"By the way, sis, how's college?" I said.

"My university's shut down for the moment," my sister said. "This year's graduating class is set to get their diplomas, but as for everyone else... no such luck."

"I know," I said. "The graduating class at my school doesn't even know whether they got in to their schools of choice."

"That's a shame," my sister said. "I'm sure you could have gotten into my school, but with a Talent High School diploma, you probably could've aimed even higher."

Ordinarily, students between my and my sister's ages would be most focused on getting into college, which would, in turn, lead to a good career, but the Tragedy certainly could things into perspective. Now, high schoolers were mainly worried about their own survival... and once again, Hope's Peak and Talent High School were the best places to be.

"If that's all for now, I should let you go," Dad said. "Don't worry about us; I'm sure you have your own problems to deal with."

"I... I know" I said. "Mom, Dad, sis... I don't know what will happen in the future, but I want to say that I love you, if I never get the chance again."

"We love you too, Kaori-san," Mom said, "and we promise- if we get through this, we'll find you."

"That's right," my sister said, "so whatever happens, don't give up."

"I won't," I said. "Take care, everyone."

I said goodbye and hung up with a heavy heart, since this ended up being the last time I talked to my family before the Tragedy resulted in the phone lines being severed. Like Iwasawa-san, I was once again cut off from my family, and left to wonder what had become of them. All I could do was follow my advice and hope for their safety, while being thankful for my own.

* * *

As March began, things settled down to something resembling normality. We were still confined to campus, still wore our old uniforms, and still received nothing but bad news from the rest of the world. Despite that, we continued attending class and going about our daily routine, so we could almost imagine that our life was unaffected by what was going on outside.

After class one day in the first week of March, Inoue-kun came up to me.

"Please accept my humblest apologies, Miura-san," Inoue-kun said while bowing deeply. "I'm afraid it may be difficult for me to return your Valentine's Day chocolate."

Inoue-kun didn't say "impossible" because he had some options, none of which were feasible. There was a vending machine in the faculty lounge that had chocolate bars in it, but it was off limits to students. Likewise, the school store had a variety of merchandise, but generally didn't carry chocolate. It was possible to order chocolate online, since the school still allowed students to get deliveries, but there was no guarantee an order placed this late would arrive in time. The only alternative was sneaking off campus to buy chocolate.

"It's all right, Inoue-kun," I said. "I only got you friendship chocolate, after all."

"I'm glad to hear that," Inoue-kun said, "but it does seem unfair that the Valentine's Day holiday is divided into two- one for boys and one for girls. If a boy doesn't get chocolate from a girl, he's under no obligation to get her any, whereas a girl must wait a month and hope that the boy she likes will reciprocate the gesture."

"Yes, that would be unfortunate," I said. "I guess I'm lucky enough that I already got chocolate from the person I like."

Inoue-kun chuckled, then smiled in satisfaction.

"I'm glad to hear that," Inoue-kun said. "By the way, Sae told me the same thing when I went to apologize for failing to get her chocolate."

"I'm sure she did," I said. "She's a nice girl, so she knows that it isn't your fault you couldn't get anything for her, especially not when we only got you store-bought chocolate."

Inoue-kun smiled, feeling reassured, and I hoped he wouldn't feel the need to go to the other girls to apologize. If he did, most of them would forgive him, or at least be polite about their disappointment, knowing that times were difficult and getting chocolate from the guys we liked was the least of our worries.

* * *

The Sunday before White Day, Kojima-senpai was caught sneaking off campus. According to some of the teachers that served as Talent High School's makeshift security force, he'd managed to get out without being detected, but people had noticed that he was gone. He ended up getting caught when he snuck back onto campus with a bag of chocolate.

After being caught, Kojima-senpai was brought before the student council to explain himself.

"Please tell us something, Kojima-senpai," Mitamura-san said. "How were you able to leave campus?"

"It was easy," Kojima-senpai said "I hid under a cardboard box and moved while no one was looking."

Mitamura-san frowned skeptically; as a hard-working student, she had no time for video games. I almost cracked a smile at the reference, but thought better of it.

"So you will not give us an honest answer?" Mitamura-san said. "That is most disappointing. There is a possible breach in our security, and if a student is able to leave, it may be possible for an intruder to enter."

"I dunno about that," Kojima-senpai said. "I mean, unlike a prison, which keeps the bad guys in, we're mainly trying to keep the bad guys out, right? Of course, 'bad guys' is pretty loose, since that apparently also includes my family, my friends from my old school and their families, too."

Mitamura-san glared at him, probably the angriest I'd ever seen her get.

"Please take this seriously, Senpai," Mitamura-san said. "This is a period of unprecedented crisis for our school- no, the entire world- so we cannot afford to have students wandering outside and endangering themselves or others."

Kojima-senpai didn't argue with that. After a moment, Mitamura-san cleared her throat.

"The administration has decided your punishment,' Mitamura-san said. "You will be confined to your dorm room for the next ten days, and your chocolate will be confiscated."

"So in other words, I'm stuck in my room, rather than the school," Kojima-senpai said. "It sucks to lose the chocolate, but I can live with that."

Mitamura-san silently nodded, painfully aware that confiscating the chocolate was the only real way the school could punish Kojima-senpai.

"That is all," Mitamura-san said. "Please return to your room."

The teachers who'd brought Kojima-senpai escorted him back to his room, which, like the other students, was on the second floor of the dorms. Once they were out of earshot, Iwasawa-san spoke.

"I... actually sympathize with Kojima-senpai," Iwasawa-san said. "Even if we have the students' safety in mind, we are asking them to give up a great deal."

"I am aware that we are," Mitamura-san said, "but desperate times warrant extreme measures. It is most troubling that some students apparently do not understand their peril we are in."

The conversation ground to a halt.

"By the way," Katsura-san said, "what's going to happen to the chocolate?"

"The faculty has taken possession of it," Mitamura-san said, "as it does with any food that students eat during class. I suppose that the administration will split it amongst themselves, rather than let it go to waste. It is unfortunate that Kojima-senpai will not be able to deliver it to the intended recipient, but it is another aspect of his punishment."

"The 'intended recipient'...?" Sae said. "I think some of us know who that is."

"Then please enlighten us, Edogawa-san," Mitamura-san said. "Not all of us are aware of others' love lives."

Sae winced as she heard that superficially polite yet cutting remark from Mitamura-san. Mitamura-san had always seemed to dislike Sae, possibly due to seeing her as a rival, but her animosity was rarely this overt. Considering that Mitamura-san didn't approve of same-sex relationships, was it possible she knew about us?

"She means Azuki-senpai," I said. "Kojima-senpai has made no secret of how he has feelings for Azuki-senpai, despite her unequivocally rejecting him."

"Then perhaps we not only did Azuki-senpai a favor, but also Kojima-senpai," Mitamura-san said. "It is for the best that he give up on this infatuation."

No one disagreed with Mitamura-san's harsh but fair decision. Azuki-senpai was not under any obligation to return Kojima-senpai's feelings, just like Sae wasn't necessarily obligated to return mine. Of course, the difference between the stoic, duty-driven perfectionist Mitamura-san and the relatively passionate and free-spirited Kojima-senpai meant that message was unlikely to be heeded.

With Kojima-senpai's punishment decided, we adjourned the meeting for now. Sae, however, stayed behind.

"Is something wrong, Sae?" I said.

"It's nothing, Kaori," Sae said. "While I agree that Kojima-senpai shouldn't have left campus, I do have to wonder something; what do you suppose Mitamura-san would do if she fell in love?"

I had to admit that it was difficult to answer that question. Mitamura-san had always struck me as an ambitious and intelligent girl who set high standards for herself, so she'd likely go far in whatever career she chose, even if it wasn't related to her talent. On the other hand, her family sounded strict and traditional, so it was possible that they'd arranged for her to marry someone. Either way, I hadn't given much thought to Mitamura-san's love life, and most likely, neither had she.

"I honestly don't know," I said. "One guess is that her courtship would be rather chaste, even by our standards, with her rarely showing affection toward her beloved. Alternatively, she might pursue the man she loves with the same devotion she gives to her studies, with... potentially disturbing results."

Sae giggled softly.

"Either guess is possible," Sae said. "In any case, I sometimes worry that Mitamura-san's single-minded focus on her education and advancement leaves her unable to sympathize with her more ordinary peers, or have a flexible vision for her future."

"I know," I said. "I was planning to spend next year studying for our entrance exams, in hopes of getting to the same school as you, but we have no idea what'll happen _tomorrow._ There's many things that seemed important a year ago, but are utterly inconsequential now."

"Maybe there are," Sae said, "but I guess one of the few silver linings in this extremely dark cloud is that we no longer have to worry about those things. That's how my sister feels anyway; she said that even if she got into college, she wouldn't end up graduating."

I did the math in my head. Sae's sister was four years older than her, so she would be finishing her third year of college at a four-year school, or would have graduated from a two-year vocational school. Of course, as Sae said, her sister hadn't done very well in school, so she'd been glad to get her schooling over with and didn't mind ending up in a menial cashier job.

"Good for her, I suppose," I said. "As for my sister, she's taking her college being shut down in stride. She's serious and hard-working, but doesn't envy me for getting into Talent High School, so if she weathers the storm, I'm sure she'll find some job she can do, even if it isn't one she'd hoped for. For now, I just want her to stay safe."

"I hope so, too," Sae said. "After all, Misaki-san might one day be my sister-in-law."

I giggled.

"A day that might be quite far off in the future, if it ever comes," I said. "While we don't know what'll happen tomorrow, I doubt that the National Diet, which is busy trying to put out fires all over Japan, will suddenly decide to legalize gay marriage."

"Maybe not," Sae said, "but we can take this one day at a time and stop worrying about the distant future for the moment."

We shared a kiss, forgetting our worries about what might happen if anyone saw us.

* * *

I ran into Azuki-senpai after class a few days later. By now, most of the teachers had given up trying to teach new material, and class was mostly just an excuse to keep all of us in one location (except for Kojima-senpai, who was still confined to his room) and keep track of us.

"Hey, Miura," Azuki-senpai said.

"Hello, Azuki-senpai," I said. "Have you, er, heard about Kojima-senpai?"

"Yeah, I spoke with Kurogane," Azuki-senpai said, "by which I mean the Kurogane in my class. Sneaking off to get chocolate for a girl who doesn't like him seems like a real Kojima move."

"I...I see," I said. "I take it you're not too put out about the chocolate being confiscated, then?"

Azuki-senpai emphatically shook her head.

"Not one bit," Azuki-senpai said. "This might sound hard to believe from someone who managed to make it big in acting, and is lucky enough to not get caught up in the seedy side of the business, but you don't always get what you want in life. Hell, Kurogane knows that Kojima won't return his feelings, and is a hell of a lot more mature about it."

"Kurogane-senpai's gay?" I said.

"Whoops," Azuki-senpai said. "I forgot that was supposed to be a secret, since he didn't seem like he was trying hard to hide it. But yeah, he is. He was planning on getting some friendship chocolate for the girls in his class, as well as Kojima, but the lockdown put the kibosh on that plan."

"I... I see," I said. "Let's just say that I have no intention of judging him for his lifestyle."

While I was mostly comfortable with being a girl, there were times when I wished I was born a boy. My grandmother wouldn't have objected to my somewhat more tomboyish habits or dressing like a boy if I was male, and considering that Sae was bisexual, she could still have fallen in love with me if I were a heterosexual boy. Of course, even if we were a couple, I wouldn't have been able to pay her back for her Valentine's Day chocolate this year.

"Speaking of which, Kurogane didn't try to sneak off campus, either," Azuki-senpai said, "even after he ended up having to cancel an exhibition match with a famous go pro. Kurogane probably would have won, and the pro's a big enough name that Kurogane's reputation would've gotten a boost."

"That's unfortunate," I said. "I suppose you're in the same boat, right?"

"Yeah," Azuki-senpai said. "We finished filming Vampire of North Girls' High School, but that'll probably never make it to theaters, and all my other projects are on hold indefinitely. I guess you heard, but our mutual friend Sayuri can't publish her manga, either."

I nodded. Sayuri-san recently had released a tankobon, but not much else good was happening. One of her assistants had been found in the local river, and police were investigating to determine whether it was a suicide or a murder.

"Yes, I've heard," I said. "In other words, Kojima-senpai isn't the only one who's having a hard time, but he's similar to you all in some ways."

"I guess," Azuki-senpai said. "You know, Miura, I'm pretty sure that you... ah, forget it. See you around."

I never found out what Azuki-senpai was about to say back then, although I could hazard a guess. Maybe it was too much to expect Azuki-senpai to sympathize with someone she disliked, but she did seem to understand that none of us enjoyed our situation, even if we knew it could be much worse.

* * *

On White Day, Himeno-san had breakfast with me. We'd hung out a few times since I'd gotten on a first-name basis with her (as had Sae in one of our meetings), but she seemed unusually serious this time.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Kaori," Himeno-san said. "I wanted to speak with you about a sensitive matter, and you seemed like the best person to ask."

"I'm willing to listen, Himeno-san," I said, "but why not speak with Kanae-san, Sayuri-san, or Azuki-senpai?"

Himeno-san shook her head.

"This is _about_ Sayuri," Himeno-san said. "I mentioned this to the other two, but I wanted to ask you for advice... as a fellow lesbian."

I turned beet red and looked around. There wasn't anyone around to overhear us, but that didn't mean I wasn't worried about people eavesdropping.

"N-Not so loud," I said, "but, h-how did you know that?"

"Probably the same way everyone else knows," Himeno-san said. "You've always been close to Edogawa-san, and people have suspected that you're more than just friends with her. Some of us weren't sure whether your feelings were reciprocated, but some people heard about you getting Valentine's Day chocolates for each other, so I guess they are."

"I guess we couldn't hide it forever," I said, "but you're probably not the only one who knows, are you?"

"No," Himeno-san said. "So far, no one else has told me openly, and I don't plan on telling anyone else, even those I believe already know about it."

"Thank you," I said.

I bowed in gratitude to Himeno-san.

"Anyway, as I said earlier, this is about Sayuri-san," Himeno-san said. "I'm sure you know some of what I'm about to say already, so please hear me out."

I nodded, realizing that while it was possible that Himeno-san would tell me things I already knew, it was unwise to make assumptions.

"Sayuri and I didn't necessarily hit it off immediately," Himeno-san said, "since I'm the sort who carefully evaluates whether someone is a good friend before making a judgment on whether befriending them would be wise, so it took us a while to get onto a first-name basis. We are friends now, but a part of me worries that she's simply the sort who makes friends with most people, and that she's guessed my feelings by now but doesn't return them."

"There's an easy way to find out whether that's true or not," I said. "Just tell her how you feel. Sayuri-san's an expert on romance tropes, but she's not a mind reader. She can probably recognize any plan to confess to her, but she won't know how you feel until you do something to show it to her."

"Fair enough, Kaori," Himeno-san said, "but that's not the only problem. My wealthy and traditional family would never approve of their daughter marrying a mere manga artist, much less a woman. It's not an exaggeration to say that if I pursued a relationship with Sayuri, I'd end up being disowned."

"I... I see," I said. "My family wouldn't go that far, but I'm still not ready to tell them, so I know how you feel. I wouldn't want you to lose your family."

Himeno-san nodded grimly.

"I may lose them anyway," Himeno-san said. "A small fire broke out in our family estate after a rioter threw a Molotov cocktail over the fence. It was put out before any real damage occurred, but the incident went to show that my family isn't safe."

"No one else's is," I said. "I want to believe that my family will stay out of trouble, but it's been days since I've heard from them."

Himeno-san furrowed her brow, apparently convinced I'd missed her point.

"In my family's case, the downfall of our family wouldn't just involve the deaths of all the other members, but the loss of everything we worked for," Himeno-san said. "My ancestors have made many sacrifices to build our family up to its current glory, from hard work to agreeing to loveless arranged marriages. It took generations to make us one of Japan's wealthiest families, but all that could end up being undone in _a year_. My family had a plan for how my life would turn out, but I don't know how feasible that plan is anymore."

I paused for a moment.

"Then why not come up with your own plan?" I said. "You can start with following your heart."

"Then I'll do just that," Himeno-san said. "Thank you, Kaori."

This was the last time I spoke with Himeno-san before she disappeared with the rest of her class. Even though I'd realized that those of us at Talent High School weren't necessarily safe, I'd never imagined that the senior class would vanish, while the junior class would be forced into a killing game... and neither did Himeno-san. For now, we were comforted by a false sense of security, one of the few things that kept us sane in these troubled times.

* * *

That evening, Sae and I met up in my room, hoping for a White Day celebration even if we didn't have any chocolate to share with one another. After all, if heterosexual couples could celebrate two romantic holidays in the winter, it was only fair that same-sex couples could do the same.

Sae seemed rather uneasy, and not just because of the security camera in my room. The cameras had been installed all over our school as part of the Shelter Plan and connected to the data center, but the school had reassured us that they wouldn't be used except in the event of emergencies, we still felt uneasy at this invasion of our privacy. Of course, that wasn't what was on Sae's mind at the moment.

"Is something wrong?" I said.

"An officer in my father's police department was killed in the line of duty a few days ago," Sae said. "I was worried that it might be Father, since the officer's name was never released, but the slain officer was a patrolman, not a detective. I suppose that just means that some other family lost a member, though."

"Have you been able to reach your father?" I said.

Sae shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no," Sae said. "Phone service has often been down in the area where he's stationed. I haven't been able to call home since the story was posted."

"The same goes with where my family lives," I said. "Of course, given your father's occupation, I can understand why you're worried."

Sae sadly nodded. She'd lost her mother at a young age, and it was likely that she'd lose her father soon.

"Father always knew that being a police officer was a dangerous profession," Sae said, "but he saw it as a necessary risk to ensure that others could live more safely."

"That's noble of him," I said, "but what about himself? Surely he realizes he has daughters who love and depend on him."

"He does," Sae said, "which is why he is always careful. Of course, he knows that everyday life can be dangerous, too, as Mother knows all too well..."

We went silent for a moment. I'd heard many good things about Sae's mother, all of which indicated that she would at least have been open-minded about my dating her daughter, and I would have liked to have met her.

"But I can't feel too sorry for myself or my family," Sae said, "especially since Himeno-san is worried about her family."

"Oh, so she talked to you, too," I said. "About... her secret."

"That's right," Sae said. "She mentioned that you told the truth about us... and that our relationship had been widely known for some time now."

"I know," I said. "I do feel a bit silly about trying to hard to keep it secret for so long. There are many things that could go wrong if people found out, but in the face of civilization itself collapsing, they hardly seem to matter."

Part of the reason for that was that the opposition to same-sex relationships was deeply rooted in many human institutions, like religions and law codes, many of which were crumbling. People had their own opinions, and many would continue to disapprove of homosexuality, but we knew we couldn't change that.

"Not at all, Kaori," Sae said. "In the end, there's only one person's permission I need for us to love each other- yours."

"My permission is yours, Sae," I said. "Right now, it's just the two of us, so no one else's opinion matters."

We then began making out once again, as we often did when we were in each other's rooms. We wished we'd never had to live through such "interesting times," to quote a certain proverb, but then I remembered another fictional wizard who said that all we had to do was to decide what to do with the time given to us.

While I'd been unfortunate enough to live through an unprecedented disaster, in many other ways, I was lucky. I'd gotten into Talent High School, and was able to take shelter within its walls. I'd fallen in love with a wonderful girl, who happened to feel the same way about me. Even though things could and probably would get worse, there was still the chance for things to improve, or for the worst possible outcomes to be averted. The future was uncertain, and ended up being even worse than I could have imagined, but right now, I could enjoy this happy moment with Sae.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

One thing that canon glossed over, apart from the (fake) backstory to V3's Gofer Project, is how the students might feel about their families being left out of Hope's Peak for the Tragedy, and thus in danger. The Talent High School students' reactions range from indifference to being rather upset but knowing that at least they themselves are safe.

This is chronologically the last Where Talent Went To School story, and is just before "The End Of Talent High School" arc. Unfortunately, it will probably be a while before I get to that, since it reveals the identity of the mastermind in Where Talent Goes To Die and the traitor in Where Talent Goes On Vacation.

For now, I'm considering several other possible story ideas such as:

*Class 32's election to the Student Council.

*The Talent High School sports festival.

*The Talent High School culture festival.


	9. The Previous Student Council

**The Previous Student Council**

 _Chiyuri's POV_

Let's go back farther in time, before the Tragedy, back when Class 33 was still starting high school and Class 31 was the senior class at Talent High School. The story I am about to tell is when Class 32 stepped up to lead the Talent High School student body.

Near the start of May, Nagato-sensei sat down for lunch with me. Ever since I started attending Talent High School, meals were among the few times we could speak as mother and daughter. As such, I was somewhat disappointed that Nagato-sensei chose to talk business over lunch.

"I have something I would like to discuss with you, Nagato-san," Nagato-sensei said. "Are you aware that student council elections are coming up?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said. "What would you like me to do?"

"Just a simple favor," Nagato-sensei said. "Higurashi-san, who just announced his candidacy, is looking for people to serve with him on the student council, should he be elected. If you are interested, I would like you to speak with him and discuss whether he has a job for you."

Running for student council was a bit of a chicken-and-the-egg situation, at least in theory. You needed people to fill posts on the student council in order to run, but they'd also have to be fairly confident that you could win. Luckily, as long as Higurashi-san didn't have any opposition, he wouldn't have to worry about people turning him down to serve under his rival.

"I'm honestly surprised Higurashi-san thinks of me as student council officer material," I said. "I could help out if I'm ordered to, but if not... I don't see any reason why I'd be chosen."

Nagato-sensei shook her head firmly, but softened her previously stern and businesslike expression.

"I'd like to say something to you as your mother, _Chiyuri_ ," Mom said.

"I'm listening, Mom," I said.

"Good," Mom said. "Whether Higurashi-san ultimately takes you on is his decision, but I doubt he can turn you away considering how few people he has. He simply asked me to talk to people who might be interested and/or up for the job, and I believe you are. The Talent High School Student Council does not require talented students to lead the school, merely dependable ones who are willing to give back to their school. I believe you have the potential- do you?"

I paused to consider what Mom was asking me to do- put my name forward and offer to serve my school. I still had my doubts about my abilities, and there was no guarantee that Higurashi-san had nearly as much faith in me. That said, Mom, who'd worked at the school since around the time I was born, believed that I could do it, so continuing to claim otherwise would be nothing more than cowardice.

"I do," I said. "I'm willing to do my best for the school."

"I'm glad to hear that, Nagato-san," Nagato-sensei said. "Please speak with Higurashi-san when you have the chance."

Nagato-sensei and I ate together as teacher and student until class resumed. While it was still a bit awkward to have to call her "Nagato-sensei," I could look on the bright side. Part of the reason why Nagato-sensei was strict about being shown respect was that she saw me as another of her students, and believed that I deserved to be at this school. The least I could do was prove her right, and if Higurashi-san was willing to let me join his student council, then I'd do the same for him.

* * *

During a class break, I approached Higurashi-san and mentioned that I'd talked with Nagato-sensei. He was pleased to hear that I was interested, and asked to discuss this more with me later.

After school, we met in the dining hall, where Higurashi-san held a brief and relatively informal job interview. Most of it was simply outlining the responsibilities of the position, including our meeting times, responsibilities and other rules.

"I know all this sounds rather intimidating," Higurashi-san said, "but in the end, it boils down to one simple question. Can I count on you to carry out the duties you are assigned for the good of the school?"

"Yes, sir," I said.

"Excellent," Higurashi-san said. "Since you've expressed that well through the rest of the interview, welcome aboard."

I took a moment to process what I was hearing.

"J-Just like that?" I said. "I know that Mo- er, Nagato-sensei offered to ask around, and she said she considered me a good candidate, but I didn't think you would choose me so readily."

"There were two reasons for that," Higurashi-san said. "First, Nagato-sensei vouched for your character and you presented yourself well, so I decided that you were a reasonably good candidate. Second, to be frank, there is no real competition. Some other people asked to work with me- Mihama-san, Himemiya-san and Tsukimura-san- but they were essentially the bare minimum I needed for a working student council."

I let off a sigh of relief, since I would have had no chance of proving myself against Mihama-san. That being said, the lack of competition still felt a bit too good to be true.

"What about the others in our class?" I said. "Why weren't they interested in joining the student council?"

"The reasons vary from person to person," Higurashi-san said. "Azuki-san, the twins, Kirishima-kun and Sasaki-san are simply too busy with their talent-related work to reliably commit to the student council. Kumakura-kun, Yamazaki-kun and Kurogane-kun politely declined, saying they didn't have what it took to serve as leaders. Asakura-kun also declined... but not quite as politely. As for Karita-kun, I personally would have reservations about trusting him with a leadership position."

I counted off all seven other boys and all four other girls, realizing the downsides of having such a small class. At St. Mary's, there were sometimes four or five candidates for student council president alone, with the losers being willing to take any job they could get with the new administration, so my old school clearly didn't have this problem. The downside of that, of course, was that none of those candidates would have had any use for someone like me, a mediocre student with no skills that were useful to the student council.

"So in other words, I was chosen because I was one of the few who actually volunteered," I said. "Is that what you're saying?"

"You're not mistaken about that," Higurashi-san said, "but to put it another way, you're _willing_ to serve the school, and that's what counts. I don't know if Nagato-sensei told you, but Talent High School's student councils are often shorthanded."

"She told me about that before," I said, "since, obviously, the school has a small student body. Few of those students have talents related to student government, and even fewer have a desire to use them for the good of the school. I'm not surprised, but I hoped it would be different this time."

"So did I, Nagato-san," Higurashi-san said, "but all we can do is make the most of what- and _who_ \- we have. Let's meet up with the others in the dining hall tomorrow at breakfast."

I wrote a note to myself to keep my schedule clear tomorrow morning, then said goodbye to Higurashi-san for the moment.

* * *

The next morning, the five members of Higurashi-san's student council met over breakfast. Since no one was running against us, and the deadline for candidate applications had passed, Higurashi-san was now the president-elect by default.

"Now that we are all assembled, I would like to divvy up the roles," Higurashi-san said. "Since Himemiya-san has volunteered to be the PR rep, Tsukimura-san is the secretary and Mihama-san is the treasurer, I would like Nagato-san to be the vice president."

"That's quite a responsibility," I said. "Why not entrust Mihama-san with that, since she's probably the most intelligent and qualified out of all of us?"

"Simply put, because no one would trust a child to lead them," Mihama-san said. "A vice president should be able to fulfill the president's role if need be, but no one would take me seriously if I were thrust into the role of acting president."

I pondered the possible scenarios. I could hold down the fort for a day or two if Higurashi-san fell ill, and was expected to return once he was able. On the other hand, if Higurashi-san was forced to step down... or worse, my term as acting president might last for weeks, or even until I moved up a year and someone from the year below us took office.

"I'm not so sure about myself, either," I said. "That's why I hope it never comes to that."

"Then I'll see to it that it doesn't," Higurashi-san said. "In the worst-case scenario, the succession order will begin with the vice president, then the treasurer, then the PR rep, then the secretary. Both Himemiya-san and Tsukimura-san turned down the vice presidency, hence why they are further down the succession order."

So in other words, if both Higurashi-san and I were unable to lead, Mihama-san would have to. Of course, things would be fairly desperate in that situation, and beggars couldn't be choosers. That was fairly obvious by now, and because of that, I vowed to do my job to the best of my ability.

Himemiya-san seemed interested in the succession order, and spoke up shortly after the rest of us confirmed that we understood what we'd just heard.

"I'd like to know something," Himemiya-san said. "If certain officers take priority over others in the succession order, does that mean that they have a higher rank?"

"Not exactly," Higurashi-san said. "I am in charge, and Nagato-san will lead you all if I am absent, but apart from that, we're essentially equals. You can all call me 'Higurashi-san' like you normally do. I will expect you to follow any orders I give, but we will make decisions as a group."

By sheer coincidence, all four of Higurashi-san's fellow student council members, myself included, used "-san" on most people, for various reasons. Mihama-san used it as a sign of respect for her older classmates, Himemiya-san and Tsukimura-san had been raised well, and I erred on the side of politeness with most people. Apart from Himemiya-san and Tsukimura-san, none of us were friends, at least not yet, so we weren't ready for more informality.

"So in other words, Himeno-sama and I are considered equals here," Tsukimura-san said.

"Yes," Higurashi-san said. "There's no reason to treat her any differently than usual."

"I'm glad to hear that, Higurashi-san," Himemiya-san said, "but I'm not entirely content with how Kanae 'usually' treats me."

The others paused, confused for a moment, as Himemiya-san turned to Tsukimura-san.

"I'll be honest with you, Kanae," Himemiya-san said. "I've never liked being called 'Himeno-sama,' but since my family expects you and the rest of our staff to call me that, I'm willing to tolerate it, since it's preferable to you getting in trouble. However, the rules don't apply here, so there's no need to show me such respect. I'm just another classmate, and would like to think you think of me as a friend, so please treat me as such."

"I know, Himeno-sam...er, -san," Tsukimura-san said.

Higurashi-san merely nodded, willing to accept Tsukimura-san's self-correction.

"I'd like to propose a compromise of sorts," Higurashi-san said. "Tsukimura-san, please try to accommodate Himemiya-san's request for less formality. Himemiya-san, please understand that it may be difficult for Tsukimura-san to overcome deeply ingrained habits."

"I'll do what I can," Tsukimura-san said.

"As will I," Himemiya-san said. "Personally, while I'd rather not have Kanae treat me like a servant, at the very least, she's using my first name. At our old school, we had to use each other's last names in class, which made it feel as though we were treating each other like strangers. I was worried we'd have to do the same here."

"That won't be necessary," Higurashi-san said. "All I ask is that you work well together."

It was a simple request, but I realized it would be a challenging prospect, and not just because Higurashi-san was the only one who'd worked for a student council before. Apart from Tsukimura-san and Himemiya-san, none of us had met prior to coming to the school, and all of us came from very different walks of life, with different talents. That said, I hoped that as long as we respected each others' differences, we would complement each other well, and our diversity would become our greatest strength.

* * *

The five of us ran unopposed in the election at the start of June and won handily, although not all of the students actually voted for us.

After the election, the four of us met with our predecessors in the student council room. The former president was **Yukiko Mochizuki** , the **Ultimate Inn Heiress**. The former vice-president was **Miko Yagami** , the **Ultimate Shrine Maiden**. The former treasurer was **Hanako Fuura** , the **Ultimate Horror Writer**. The former secretary was **Sadako Sakura,** the **Ultimate Origami Artist**. The former PR rep was **Suzuki** (I don't think I ever heard her first name), the **Ultimate Calligrapher**.

While some of us had met each other before, we formally introduced each other, then sat down across from one another in the student council room.

"I will be honest with all of you," Mochizuki-senpai said. "Being part of the student council is a position with many responsibilities and few privileges. If your goal is to pad your resume, then I am sure you will be disappointed, as will the voters who elected you. If, however, you have the best interests of your fellow students at heart, good judgment and a strong work ethic, you will likely find that it is the most fulfilling part of your Talent High School experience."

"Thank you for the warning, Mochizuki-senpai," Higurashi-san said. "I suppose you're speaking from personal experience?"

"I am, Higurashi-san," Mochizuki-senpai said, "and not just as a member of the student council. As an inn manager in training, who often fills in as acting manager, I am responsible for all aspects of the Mochizuki Inn- cooking, cleaning, serving guests, maintaining the inn, ordering supplies, anything you can think of. While I will earn a salary from my work once I take over the inn, my livelihood, as well as that of the breadwinners of several families, will be tied up to the inn. It would be an exaggeration to say that by comparison, being student council president is a trivial matter, but if I could not handle it, I have no business inheriting the inn."

Perhaps that was the difference between myself and Mochizuki-senpai. She'd been prepared for her responsibility as inn heiress since she was old enough to remember, while for a long time, I hadn't even been sure what I could do. When I spoke with people like her, I couldn't help but feel as though I'd wasted my life.

"Do any of the other employees feel uncomfortable taking orders from one that is your age?" Mihama-san said.

"Perhaps some do," Mochizuki-senpai said, "but if so, they are unwilling to let it stop them from doing their jobs, and I am glad. While I do not expect blind obedience from the inn's employees, anyone who cannot respect or obey the manager for such a petty reason has no business working for us."

For a moment, I felt a bit intimidated. Since I'd only gotten a job with the Higurashi administration by virtue of him having no other people, I doubted I would have had much of a chance with the Mochizuki administration.

"President Mochizuki actually doesn't ask too much," Sakura-senpai said. "As long as you respect her and do as she says, she's relatively forgiving. One time when I made a mistake, I thought I'd get fired, but the president simply helped show me where I went wrong and gave me a second chance. I spent the rest of my time with the student council repaying her, and consider it a great honor to work under her."

"Thank you for the kind words, Sakura-san," Mochizuki-senpai said, "but you don't have to call me 'President' anymore- that title now belongs to Higurashi-san."

"Sorry, Mochizuki-san," Sakura-senpai said. "Anyway, President Higurashi, I hope you will follow her example."

Higurashi-san nodded, and said "I will."

"I also have a question, Mochizuki-senpai," Tsukimura-san said. "As someone who has to give orders to employees, what do you suppose the best way to treat your fellow student council members is?"

"The same way you usually do," Mochizuki-senpai said. "As long as you're able to do your jobs, and exercise a reasonable amount of respect toward one another, then there's no need to treat one another any differently. Yagami-san and I discussed this when we ran for office last year, and decided that there was no need for us to change how we interacted with one another. She could just call me 'Mochizuki-san', as she always did."

So in other words, Mochizuki-senpai and Yagami-senpai knew each other before they came here. Of course, their formal address made it hard to tell whether they were acquaintances, or simply friends who happened to be exceptionally polite to each other. If I'd had a friend I'd known for that long, say, Hanako Yamada, I'd probably have asked her if I could switch from calling her "Yamada-san" to "Hanako-san" or "Hanako-chan."

"I'm curious about something," Himemiya-san sad. "Does this mean you always call each other by your family names and '-san'?"

Yagami-senpai and Mochizuki-senpai giggled.

"We do," Yagami-senpai said. "Mochizuki-san and I had manners drilled into us from a young age. Moreover, we've called each other by our surnames for so long that it'd be almost impossible to change."

"True," Mochizuki-senpai said. "Yagami-san sometimes calls me 'Yukiko-san,' such as when she's speaking with my parents, but while I don't mind, she feels a bit awkward doing it, and switches back to 'Mochizuki-san' before long. The same goes for when I try calling her 'Miko-san."

"I know where the two of you are coming from," Suzuki-senpai said. "Some people joke that my parents call me 'Suzuki-san.'"

"What about when you get married, Mochizuki-senpai?" I said.

"Well, Yagami-san's lucky," Mochizuki-senpai said, "since my husband- let's call him Taro Tanaka- will have to marry into the Mochizuki family, becoming Taro Mochizuki. Yagami-san, however, will probably have to become Miko Tanaka if she marries the same person, so she'll have to hope that her husband's name isn't too outrageous."

Yagami-san chuckled.

"I know," Yagami-senpai said. "I guess that's one way you- or should I say I- benefit from your family having the Mochizuki Inn named in your honor. If my family's shrine was called the Yagami Shrine, things would be different."

"Maybe you could ask your father to rename it," Mochizuki-senpai said.

As the two friends shared a laugh, I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Formality aside, the two had quite a history together, and were clearly comfortable enough to engage in friendly teasing and joking. I got along well with Azuki-san, but how many years would it be until we became that close, if ever? Perhaps that was a question only the two of us could answer.

"But we digress," Mochizuki-senpai said. "I'm pleased to have Yagami-san as a friend, consider her a valued part of the student council, and would be glad to have her work for me at the Mochizuki Inn. Likewise, my mother, a strict and no-nonsense but kind and loving woman, is also my employer. She makes it clear that she only lets me work for her as long as I do the job, and I strive to live up to that trust. Essentially, if you trust each other and respect each other, which is the basis for any real friendship, you should do well together."

"You raise a good point, Mochizuki-senpai," Himeno said. "I believe that Kanae, a hard-working, intelligent and morally upstanding person, will do well on the student council."

"Thank you, Himeno-san," Tsukimura-san said. "I'll do my best."

Himemiya-san smiled. Perhaps she'd have preferred if Tsukimura-san would call her "Himeno-chan," or better yet, "Himeno," but for now, she was happy with this development. If Tsukimura-san had acknowledge her as an equal, perhaps someday, she would consider her a friend.

"One more question," I said. "What should you do if everyone knows that you got your job because of your family's influence?"

"The same thing that anyone else who is hired to do a job does," Mochizuki-senpai said, "namely, perform your duties to the best of your ability. It may be possible that the hiring manager gave it to you out of nepotism, but the question of whether you deserve that job is one that only you can answer."

"Quite true," Fuura-senpai said. "I personally wasn't sure why Mochizuki-san invited me to serve under her on the student council, but in the end, I'm glad she did. Except for Mochizuki-san and Yagami-san, we all came from different places, and all had wildly different talents, but we could work together to serve the school, so I'm sure you can, too."

While I was fairly sure none of the previous student council benefited from connections, nor did any of them know me very well, their vote of confidence meant a lot to me. We were following in their footsteps, and if their path had led to a reasonably successful outcome, so too would ours.

We asked Mochizuki-senpai and her fellow ex-Student Council members about their jobs and the history of the student council. Some of the outgoing student government members were surprised I knew more than they did... at least before they remembered I was Nagato-sensei's daughter.

* * *

I had lunch with Azuki-san later that day.

"Congratulations on joining the student council, Nagato," Azuki-san said.

"Thank you, Azuki-san," I said. "I notice that you didn't seem too enthusiastic about the election."

"Well, the only reason I didn't vote was because there wasn't any other alternatives," Azuki-san said. "Consider it a protest against one-party elections."

I chuckled.

"Believe it or not, there used to be more competition for the presidency," I said. "For the first years of the school, there were two or three candidates each year, a number that gradually increased as the school got better-known. The tenth election had almost half the class running for office, with the final result being decided by a small clique that had no interest in serving. Unfortunately, the actual winner was... lackluster. The few people who ended up voting for that person quickly regretted their votes."

"Wow, really?" Azuki-senpai said. "I always thought the student council here was a bit of a joke, but it's really possible for the president to fuck it up?"

"Failure _is_ possible," I said. "All positions, no matter how simple or humble, require a certain amount of due diligence- show up to work on time, invest an appropriate amount of energy into your job and learn the ropes. The president couldn't do that, so the year was... rough."

Azuki-san's previous remark had been flippant, but all she could say now was "Huh, figures." As blunt as she usually was, even she had times when she felt as though she'd stuck her foot into her mouth.

"As a result, the requirements for running for office became stricter," I said. "The faculty, especially Nagato-sensei, made certain that prospective candidates were adequately informed about the responsibilities associated with the position, and required candidates to have at least a few officers willing to serve under them. That scared off those who weren't serious about it, which, unfortunately, was the majority of the candidates."

"Well, as long as we get a competent president, this isn't so bad," Azuki-san said. "I guess that if we get a sucky candidate, someone will rise up to oppose that person."

"Perhaps," I said. "Mochizuki-senpai is a mature and responsible young lady, so she did a good job as president. Not everyone voted for Higurashi-san, but he will strive to do right by all of the student community."

Azuki-san nodded.

"By the way, I've heard a rumor about Mochizuki," Azuki-san said. "Does even her best friend call her 'Mochizuki-san'?"

"She does," I said, "and it might be a good idea to call her 'Mochizuki- _senpai_ ,' too."

"Got it," Azuki-san said. "That sounds pretty damn awkward, but whatever works for them."

I nodded. Mom used last names and "-san" (or professional titles) on most people besides her daughter and the few friends who'd kept in touch with her after she got pregnant with me. While I didn't yet have friends I was close enough with to use first names, I winced at the thought of calling Azuki-san by her family name for the rest of our lives.

"Speaking of," Azuki-san said, "it might be a little late, but what would you like to be called?"

"Let's see," I said. "If you're going to use my last name, I'd prefer if you added the '-san' honorific. All my fellow student council members call me that."

Azuki-san paused expectantly, knowing I wasn't done speaking.

"But if you're asking what I'd prefer," I said, "then I'd like you to call me by my first name...as long as I can do the same for you, Akira-san."

"You sure can, Chiyuri," Akira-san said.

I smiled. I'd long feared that taking the step would be assuming too much familiarity, but now, I wondered what I'd been so afraid of. By reaching out to someone else and thereby taking a risk, I'd made a friend, but while this gamble wouldn't always pay off, I felt a bit more confident about making it.

* * *

The rest of the year passed without incident. In the summer, we took part in overseeing the school's sports festival. In the autumn, we set up the culture festival. In the winter, we threw a Christmas party for our classmates. In the spring, we rose to become part of the senior class, and handed power over to the new administration. Each of these was a story unto itself, but my first year at Talent High School was an idyllic time, at least compared to my second.

Was there anything my class could have done in our first year to prevent the tragedy that befell us in our second year? I honestly can't think of any answers to that question, but still regretted my naivete during my time at Talent High School. Nevertheless, those years were among the happiest of my life, which may have been why I didn't notice the dark times coming until they were upon us.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

I decided to write about how the Class 32 student council formed, to give some insight as to how Chiyuri and the others got involved in the student council, and how the Higurashi administration is different from the Mitamura administration.

I'm aware that the last three student councils of Talent High School's 33-year history are female-dominated, but that's largely a consequence of the characters' personalities. The student councils consist of characters with an interest in student government who aren't too busy with their talents, and often get recruited by their friends (Mitamura recruited Iwasawa, Miura recruited Edogawa, and Himemiya and Tsukimura came together).

I may include other cameos from Class 31 students, but won't do a fangan with them. When the Tragedy hit, they were scattered all across Japan, thereby preventing them from getting caught up in a killing game. Some survived while others died, but their fates are largely unknown.

Here's Class 31's information. It includes their talents, their backstories and how they generally dress. It's worth noting that this was a relatively lackluster class as far as talents went, which, combined with an unusually high amount of administrator's relatives in Class 32, led to them being especially desperate to get talented students for Class 33.

First, the boys

 **Tetsuo Morino** , the **Ultimate Mini Golfer**. A golf prodigy who reportedly got holes in one on all the courses He wears a baseball cap, polo shirt and blue jeans.

 **Kazuhiro Watanabe,** the **Ultimate Cleaner.** A notorious delinquent who got assigned cleaning duty so many times as punishment that he ended up getting good at it. Since he had little hope of going on to a good school, taking Talent High School's invitation was his best bet. He wears a loose blue gyakuran-style uniform.

 **Katsuki Yamato** , the **Ultimate Bonsai Caretaker**. While bonsai caretaking is strictly a hobby for him, he hopes to use it to get into a good college and get a good job. He wears a button-down shirt, black slacks and an apron.

 **Takeshi Hidaka** , the **Ultimate Pitcher**. A boy who's the best there is at pitching but mediocre at all other aspects of baseball, resulting in Hope's Peak Academy passing him over for the Ultimate Baseball Star title, which would be awarded to Leon Kuwata two years later. He wears his school's baseball uniform.

 **Yuki Honda,** the **Ultimate Card Trader** : He's well known for amassing every card ever known in a popular trading card battle series, including the rare and limited edition cards. What most people don't know is that not only is his family rich, but his father left him a cache of thousands of cards. He wears a gray gyakuran.

 **Kenji Ichihara** , the **Ultimate Shot Putter** : As his title implies, he won the shot put competition in his first year of high school. As a result, his arms are exceptionally strong. He wears a blue blazer-style uniform with a matching tie.

 **Hibiki Ito,** the **Ultimate Lifeguard** : A talented lifeguard who mainly took the job to get a chance to peep at girls in swimsuits. Unfortunately, after a swimmer nearly drowned while he was... "distracted," and a series of other complaints against him, Talent High School rescinded his title and expelled him during the summer of his first year, a rare occasion in the school's history. He wears a gray blazer-style uniform with a matching tie.

 **Masahiro Kawanishi** , the **Ultimate Comedy Writer** : He is the manga artist of a 4koma gag manga. His jokes are excellent, but the art is mediocre. He wear a dark gyakuran.

Now for the girls.

 **Yukiko Mochizuki,** the **Ultimate Inn Heiress**. While her parents were unsure whether she needed to go to the school, they hoped the publicity would boost their inn's reputation. Her managerial skills earned her the position of student council president. She wears a pink kimono.

 **Miko Yagami,** the **Ultimate Shrine Maiden.** She's Yukiko's cousin and the shrine maiden to her family's shrine. She wears a white miko robe with a red hakama.

 **Chisato Iwamoto** (nee Kusakabe), the **Ultimate Housewife.** She is a year older than her classmates, having been held back a year. She got married shortly after her sixteenth birthday, and vigorously denies any rumors that her parents approved the marriage to draw Talent High School's attention. She wears a light blue blouse, a long khaki skirt and a pink apron.

 **Sadako Sakura,** the **Ultimate Origami Artist.** She folded a thousand paper cranes in record time for a friend who had cancer. Sadly, the other girl succumbed, but Sadako's talent was recognized by Talent High School. She wears a navy blue blazer-style uniform with a red neck ribbon.

 **Hanako Fuura** , the **Ultimate Horror Writer**. A talented young horror writer who started off scaring her friends with her stories, and eventually wrote her novels. She prefers being called "Hanako-san." She wears a dark sailor fuku with a blue neckerchief.

 **Suzuki** , the **Ultimate Calligrapher**. A talented calligrapher from a family that practices the art. Hardly anyone knows her first name, and she claims that even her parents call her "Suzuki-san." She wears a white kimono.

 **Michiko Hyuga,** the **Ultimate Cashier** : While she is undeniably talented at her job, her coworkers set the bar very low. She was hired because she was the only one who showed up to the interview on time, and she was the only teenage employee who lasted longer than two months at her job. She wears a white button-down shirt, khaki pants and an apron and name tag.

 **Hana Yamada** , the **Ultimate Average Student** : She is the third of five children- three daughters and two sons. She places near the middle of her class in all exams. She participates in the softball team, being decent enough that the others keep her around but not good enough to get a starting position. Her goal in life is to become an office lady, get married and have children. She also happens to be the niece of Yukino Ishigami, a member of Talent High School's board. She wears a gray blazer-style uniform with a red necktie.


	10. Parents' Day: Class 33

**Parents' Day: Class 33**

 _Edogawa's POV_

In the middle of November, Talent High School held its annual Parents' Day, inviting parents to come to the school, sit in on classes and speak with the students' teachers. Having spent a decade in school, I was familiar with the concept, even if my parents seldom participated. This was a natural consequence of having a widower father who was busy with his work as a police detective, and my sister and I being in different schools ever since she graduated from elementary school. Father was seldom able to commit to any single day, but he did keep close tabs on his daughters' academic performance, so he wasn't missing too much.

The student council discussed Parents' Day at one of our meetings, two weeks before the event. There was little we needed to do in preparation, since the administration was responsible for registering visitors. As such, when the topic of whose parents would attend came up, the discussion was motivated by personal interest rather than necessity.

"I would like to ask something of you all," Mitamura-san said, "namely, which of your parents plan on attending. My mother will come, but what about the rest of you?"

"My mother is planning on attending," Katsura-san said, "provided nothing comes up, of course."

"My mom's coming, too," Kaori said. "She'll be in the area on business, but will be able to put time aside to come here."

I wasn't completely surprised, since Kaori had mentioned her mother's business trip before. Of course, she'd only been about fifteen to twenty percent sure that her mother would be able to come, so I hadn't prepared for the possibility of meeting her.

"Mama and Papa won't be able to make it," Iwasawa-san said sadly. "It's difficult for them to travel all the way out here."

"My father won't be able to come either," I said. "To put it simply, he's too busy."

No one asked about why my mother was unable to come, and I was glad for that. Kaori already knew, while the others were at least aware that they were better off not prying.

"I understand," Katsura-san said. "Kuro-chan's father is busy with work, and her mother is going to her younger siblings' parents day, which is on the same day. Since the Akasaka siblings are in elementary, middle and high school, this was bound to happen."

"The same goes for me," Kaori said. "Two years ago, my sister was in high school and I was in middle school, and our Parents' Days fell on the same day. Both my parents were busy, so they couldn't attend either one."

"So not everyone's parents will be able to attend," Mitamura-san said, "but everyone should know what is expected of them. You will all be representing your school to your families and everyone else's, so I expect you all to be on your best behavior. Your parents, as guests of the school, must do the same."

We discussed the rules that parents were expected to follow; unlike the sports and culture festivals, school was in session, so the rules were stricter. Parents were required to register in advance (and call to cancel if they couldn't make it) and sign in at the front of the school, where they would get a visitor badge. They were asked to look nice- business attire was recommended- and be respectful of the school community and the other guests. By now, the students were familiar enough with the rules, but it was important to establish guidelines for outsiders.

If Yuuki-san were here, I suspect she'd have asked, "When are you _not_ on your best behavior, Reiko-chan?", a question I shared but wasn't willing to actually ask. The concept of being more polite than usual around my friends' (or girlfriend's) parents was a familiar one to me, but Mitamura-san's standards of herself were so uncompromising that it was difficult to imagine that she was not trying her hardest. "Giving 110 percent" seemed like a rather silly phrase, but it was the only way to describe a perfectionist going the extra mile.

Of course, I did understand where Mitamura-san was coming from. Not only had I always taken my reputation seriously, both as a student and a young author, but the stakes were different with this Parents' Day. My girlfriend's mother was going to come to our school and meet me for the first time, and the outcome of that meeting would likely determine what, if any, place I had in the Miura family. Mitamura-san might not have approved of same-sex relationships, but I was sure that she could understand what was at stake for me..

* * *

I invited Kaori over to my room that evening. It had always been a regular occurrence, even before we started going out, but Kaori could tell I was unusually serious this time, even before I got down to business.

"I'd like to ask about your mother," I said. "What kind of person is she?"

"Exceptionally polite," Kaori said, "as well as the sort who gets along with practically anyone. I think you'll hit it off well with her."

"I see," I said. "I thought you'd say that based on what you told me about her."

Kaori furrowed her brow.

"You sound a bit skeptical," Kaori said. "Do you not believe me?"

"I'm sure you're telling me the truth," I said. "It's just that she reminds me a little of my father. Father is a gentleman who's exceptionally polite to everyone, even to the criminals he helps arrest. If he were to arrest you, he'd probably say 'Please give me your hands, Miura-san; I need to handcuff you'."

Kaori giggled softly for a moment, but quickly realized I hadn't gotten to the serious part yet.

"That _does not_ , however, mean that Father is a pushover," I said. "He stringently enforces rules around the house, and while he's fine with my sister being more casual with him, he does not tolerate outright disrespect or disobedience. While I was able to get him to let me read mystery novels after he caught me sneaking one home, he also grounded me for not doing as I was told. Even his politeness has a practical purpose when it comes to questioning suspects; the relatively cooperative ones become more willing to tell him what they know, while the less cooperative ones let down their guard."

Kaori didn't strike me as a criminal by nature, so the likelihood of her breaking the law seemed rather slim. Despite that, she seemed about as nervous as a criminal who was certain that she'd be convicted and sent to prison.

"Are you afraid that if I were to meet your father, he might try to trip me up?" Kaori said.

"Not necessarily," I said. "It's just that I wonder how tolerant your mother will be of me, if she's anything like my father. She may be outwardly polite, but only as a facade to hide her disapproval of me."

Kaori shook her head.

"Your father seems to be on to something," Kaori said, "and Mom would probably do the same thing if she were a police officer rather than a businesswoman. Mom, however, doesn't think she has an adversarial relationship with her clients, and her politeness and professionalism is for the sake of presenting a good first impression and getting them to do business with her. As for her daughter's friends, she also wants to put on a good impression for them."

"I see what you mean," I said. "But what about a son-in-law or daughter-in-law?"

"I can't say," Kaori said. "My sister hasn't brought any boys home, or even told me or our parents about having a boyfriend. I once thought she was, you know, like me, but she definitely is into guys, and _only_ guys. I'm honestly a bit nervous about finding out how my parents would react to us being in a relationship."

So Kaori's parents didn't know about us just yet. Maybe her sister also had a secret boyfriend or girlfriend, but there was no way to know for sure.

"I can't blame you," I said. "Not only is it a question of gathering the courage to cross that potentially dangerous bridge, but it's also a question of doing so in the right way. My father may not approve much of my potential brother-in-law, but I wonder if my sister mishandled introducing them."

"I don't know," Kaori said, "but as they say, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Of course, if you mind your manners, one chance is all you need."

"Understood," I said. "In that case, Kaori- _san_ , I should probably call your mother 'Miura-san' or 'ma'am', and use '-san' on you while she's in earshot, right?"

"That sounds about right, Sae," Kaori said, "since Mom's standards aren't too high when it comes to politeness, but that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate it. The same goes for me, but you can just treat me like you always do when it's just us."

I nodded optimistically. I was still a bit nervous about this, but it no longer seemed like an impossible endeavor.

"Then I'll do just that," I said. "I'm glad to hear that your mother doesn't expect too much."

"Me too," Kaori said. "After all, she had a hard time dealing with _her_ mother-in-law."

We talked for a little bit about the Miura family, and our discussion made me glad that I'd never have to deal with Kaori's grandmother. Still, I hoped to do better than Kaori's mother had, and while it was possible that obtaining the approval of my possible in-laws was an impossible task, I had no desire to make excuses by claiming that victory was not achievable.

* * *

A few nights before Parents' Day, Sayuri-san held a class for some of the students who wanted to meet the parents. She got permission to borrow a vacant classroom in the evening.

A few girls from our class showed up; the guys either didn't care about meeting their classmates' parents or were confident enough in their skills. Apart from Kaori and I, there was Yuuki-san, Mitamura-san and Iwasawa-san.

"I'm a bit surprised to see you here, Mitamura-san," Sayuri-san said. "I thought you were confident in your grasp on social rules."

"To a certain degree, I am, Sasaki-senpai," Mitamura-san said, "but overconfidence breeds complacence, complacence leads to carelessness and carelessness invites disaster."

While some would assume that Mitamura-san was the type who could pass her exams without even trying, I did notice her spending much of her time studying. Because of that, I doubted I would ever overtake her and secure the top spot, but Mitamura-san most likely felt she could not afford to even entertain the notion.

"Gotcha, Reiko-chan," Yuuki-san said, "but didn't Sayuri-san ask you not to call her 'Senpai'?"

"It's fine, Ami-chan," Sayuri-san said, "since for once, I feel like I'm acting like a senpai. Just for this class, please call me 'Sasaki-senpai.'"

Yuuki-san nodded and said "Yes, Sasaki-senpai," and I made a note to follow suit.

"As you wish, Sasaki-senpai," Mitamura-san said, "but why not ask for us to call you 'Sensei' instead?"

"Because I don't feel like a teacher," Sasaki-senpai said. "I'm only a year older than you, and only have a year's worth of experience meeting my schoolmates' parents. Perhaps it would be different if I were Nagato-sensei or Kurosawa-sensei's age, along with the same amount of education and professional experience, but just think of me as giving some tips to my underclassmen."

Sasaki-senpai was generally of the opinion that being one year older hardly made one person superior to another, and while she was fine with me using "-san" on her (as opposed to "-chan" if she were my age or younger), she didn't expect or want me to use polite speech. On the other hand, she did take her status as an authority figure seriously, so we'd probably never have become friends if I was her assistant.

"In any case, Mitamura-san has the right of it," Sasaki-senpai said, "since meeting the parents of one's friends is half common sense and half knowing who you are dealing with. Common sense is a must, but if you go in blind, you're essentially relying on luck. For example, some parents might expect you to address them as 'sir' or 'ma'am', while others won't like it."

"Understood, Senpai," Iwasawa-san said. "So, how will we know which is which?"

"Use your best judgment," Sayuri-san said. "Since I haven't met your parents, I can't give you any advice apart from that you should ask your classmates for more information, and be willing to give that information to anyone who asks."

So in the end, Kaori was my primary source regarding her mother. She knew her mother's character well, but couldn't tell me much about introducing a girlfriend to the -family.

"There is, however, one thing I can help you understand," Sasaki-senpai said. "With some exceptions, most of our parents are not the cartoonishly evil in-laws from fiction. They simply want the best for their children, and so scrutinize whoever ends up in those children's orbit. If their judgments seem unfair, it may be because they are operating with little information. As such, it's in your best interests to ensure that their impression of you is as good as possible."

This probably fell into the "common sense" category, but it was still an important bit of common sense to hear. Like many others in my situation, I'd been so caught up with my worries about what my possible future in-laws might think of me that I never considered what was on their minds.

"Essentially, you will need to show your friends' parents' respect," Sasaki-senpai said, "perhaps comparable to what you show your teachers. I would recommend that you dress well, but luckily, that's already taken care of. Since we are required to wear our uniforms, you need only wear them properly. In a nutshell, showing that you're able to follow the rules of good etiquette is the best way to make a good impression on your classmates' parents."

"And what about after that?" Kaori said.

"That's up to you," Sayuri-san said. "It'll be easier to do well in the future if your first impression is good, but you still need to be careful. Likewise, a bad first impression will make things difficult later on, but you can redeem yourself."

So even if things turned out badly, it wasn't necessarily the end. Maybe there was a chance that I'd upset Kaori's mother enough to make her order her daughter to stay away from me, but even looking at it pessimistically, that was rather unlikely.

We then did some roleplaying. At my request, I went first, with Kaori playing herself, and Mitamura-san playing her mother.

"I'm Kaori-san's classmate, Edogawa," I said. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Edogawa-san," Mitamura-san said as we bowed to each other, with my bow being lower than hers. "I am always happy to meet Miura-san's classmates."

"You might want to try that again, Mo- Mitamura-san," Kaori said. "My mom uses my first name."

"All right," Mitamura-san said. "I am always happy to meet Kaori-san's classmates."

This time, Kaori didn't correct Mitamura-san. The conversation continued for a while, until Sasaki-senpai decided she'd heard enough.

"That's enough," Sasaki-senpai said. "Sae-chan, you did a fairly good job presenting yourself; I give you full marks for manners. Mitamura-san, you played your part reasonably well, but you could get into character more."

"I understand, Sasaki-senpai," Mitamura-san said. "What do you recommend?"

"Consider the perspective of the person you're playing," Sasaki-senpai said. "Akira-chan- who I guess is 'Azuki-senpai' to you- doesn't just have a knack for memorizing lines or making the proper delivery, but she also knows her characters inside and out."

As a writer, I was familiar with the concept; as the one responsible for writing Aiko Aizawa, I'd have to know how she'd respond to any situation she'd find herself in. Despite that, I had trouble writing with other people's characters, which was why I wasn't very good at producing fan fiction, and probably wouldn't be any good at acting.

"That is all well and good, Senpai," Mitamura-san said, "but I have not met Miura-san's mother.

"Then it's just a matter of imagination," Sayuri-san said. "Just imagine what you think Kaori-chan's mom would be like."

"I will," Mitamura-san said, "but perhaps someone else should have a turn, first?"

Sayuri-san nodded.

"Let's switch things up for the next exercise," Sasaki-senpai said. "Mitamura-san, you'll be introducing Ami-chan to your mother, who will be played by Sae-chan."

"Understood," I said. "Is there anything you think I should know, Mitamura-san- or perhaps I should say Reiko?"

"Mother is a strict but loving parent," Mitamura-san said. "She has high standards about the company I keep, but because she knows that it will reflect well on me."

I nodded, then started getting into character. While some would think of the "parent" role as merely a placeholder to fill the exercise, playing that role was just as educational as playing the other two. By doing so, we could help understand where our friends' parents were coming from, and the best way to endear ourselves to them.

We went through a few exercises together, with my playing the role of the student being introduced, the parent, and the one doing the introducing. After we finished, I let Kaori and the others leave first walked up to Sayuri-san.

"Thank you very much for the help, Sasaki-senpai," I said.

"You're welcome, Sae-chan," Sayuri-san said, "but the lesson's over, so 'Sayuri' is fine."

"Right," I said. "Sorry, Sayuri-san."

Sayuri-san smiled.

"Anyway, I'd like to ask you something," I said, "Were you perhaps speaking from experience?"

"I am," Sayuri-san said, "since I had to meet Himeno-chan's mother last year. I'll bet you're nervous about meeting Kaori-chan's mother, but Himeno-chan's mother seemed far more scary."

Sayuri-san was rather perceptive to immediately guess that Kaori was the one I was worried about, but for the moment, I was more interested in her word choice.

"What do you mean, 'seemed'?" I said.

"That was what I expected, since she's from a wealthy and traditional family," Sayuri-san said, "but the reality was anything but what I'd anticipated. She was surprisingly down to earth, and was really polite and friendly. I don't know what she'd be like as a mother-in-law, but it was actually fun meeting her."

I was glad to hear that. While it didn't necessarily mean that Kaori's mother would be like her, it was proof that sometimes we could make mountains out of molehills.

"Like I said, the last thing I want is for this to seem intimidating," Sayuri-san said. "I want to show you a path you can follow that leads to success. Even if it seems like a long and arduous road, at least you know where you're going and how to get there."

"Well said," I said. "I guess it's up to me to walk it."

I came away realizing that Sayuri-san had once struggled with meeting Himemiya-senpai's mother, so she seemed to know where I was coming from. Of course, while I had suspicions that the two of them were in love, I didn't know for certain. If, however, it was true, then neither of them were ready to come out to their parents just yet, like Kaori and I were. The challenge of meeting Kaori's mother would be difficult but manageable, but it would be nothing compared to coming out to each of our families.

While I was mostly nervous, a part of me wondered if I was getting ahead of myself and making a mountain out of a molehill, just as I had with the prospect of meeting Kaori's mother (assuming I wasn't being overconfident about that). Perhaps that was wishful thinking, or maybe I was making things out to be worse than they were. I'd only know once I actually faced that situation.

* * *

Two nights before Parents' Day, I heard a knock on the door to my dorm room. I thought it was Kaori until I opened the door and saw Yuuki-san there.

"Hey, Sae-chan," Yuuki-san said. "Mind if I drop by for a bit? I'd like to talk."

"You may, Yuuki-san," I said. "Please, make yourself at home.

Since I'd finished my homework and was making good progress on my latest book, I had enough time to have a friend over. Unfortunately, it also meant I had time to worry about meeting Kaori's mother.

Yuuki-san came in, and sat on my chair, while I sat on the bed.

"I've got some news," Yuuki-san said. "Mama got sick, so she can't make it for Parents' Day."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, "and hope your mother gets better soon, even if it probably won't be soon enough for Parents' Day."

Yuuki-san nodded.

"Thanks," Yuuki-san said, "but to tell you the truth, I'm kind of relieved, since it's a bit tough introducing my friends to my parents. Sayuri-san gave some helpful advice, and I'm grateful to her, but my friends and I still walk on eggshells around each other's parents."

"I thought you'd say that," I said. "You're quite different from the scrupulously polite Mitamura-san on that regard."

Yuuki-san laughed out loud.

"That's an understatement," Yuuki-san said. "I think the problem is that Reiko-chan treats everyone as either someone she has to impress or a rival she has to defeat. I hope she'll understand that I can't possibly beat her at academics, so she shouldn't be afraid of me. We're good at different things, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"I don't think she's _afraid_ of you, per se," I said. "It's just that the two of you are so different that it's hard to see eye to eye."

"I guess you're right," Yuuki-san said. "If I see her mom at Parents' Day, I'll probably say hi, introduce myself, then excuse myself before I do anything she doesn't like. As for Kaori-chan's mom, I'll probably do the same thing, and let you know if she's friendly."

"Thank you, Yuuki-san," I said.

Yuuki-san smiled.

"But you know..." Yuuki-san said, "there was one thing I was hoping might come about as a result of you meeting Mama. She became 'Yuuki-san' too after marrying my dad, see?"

"Yes, I know," I said, "in which case I'd have to call you Ami-san."

"Nailed it, Sae-chan," Yuuki-san said. "So, um...you kind of took the words out of my mouth, but would it be all right using my first name, without the -san?"

I nodded. Since Yuuki-san- or rather, _Ami-chan_ \- tended to address me informally and affectionately, it was long past time for me to return the favor.

"All you needed to do was ask, Ami-chan," I said.

"Thanks, Sae-chan," Ami-chan said.

We changed the subject, but I was reminded that while Ami-chan was one of the most cheerful and honest individuals I knew, there were things even she was worried about. Perhaps she'd feel the same way in my situation, which helped me understand that I wasn't alone.

* * *

Finally, Parents' Day arrived. Apart from the parents that were discussed at the student council meeting, the Fukuda, Hoshino, Kagami, Mizuhara, Sakuragi and Sugiura families were no-shows. As for the senior class, the students whose parents were absent were far more common than those who attended.

In order to warm up, I asked Inoue-kun to introduce me to his mother, Mary Inoue. She was a tall blonde woman who wore a pink skirt suit with a white blouse. According to her son, she was more likely to wear a button-down shirt with khakis or even blue jeans, even at work, which probably went to show how seriously some parents took this.

"Edogawa-san, this is my mother, Mary Inoue," Inoue-kun said. "Mom, this is Sae Edogawa, my classmate."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'- er, Inoue-san," I said as we shook hands, remembering at the last moment that Inoue-san didn't like being called "ma'am."

"Likewise," Inoue-san said. "You can call me by my first name if you like; mind if I do the same, Sae-chan?"

"You can, Mary-san," I said.

Mary-san smiled. While I mentally referred to each of my classmates' parents by their first names, so as to keep them apart from their children, I knew

"I actually remember you from your previous school," Mary-san said. "I saw you in class with Shinichi on Parents' Day, although we didn't properly meet."

"Now that I think about it, I remember you, too," I said. "Back then, your son and I were merely acquaintances, but it's nice to actually be able to talk with him normally. I'm glad both of us made it into this school."

As we talked about the past, I recalled that this would never have happened last year. Not only did I not have any close friends back then, but I wasn't willing to face their parents. If nothing else, I'd come a long way since then.

* * *

Shortly after my conversation with Inoue-kun's mother ended, Mitamura-san came up to me with her mother, a woman dressed in a dark skirt suit. The elder Mitamura-san's hair had started to gray, and she had wrinkles on her face.

"Ah, there you are, Edogawa-san," Mitamura-san said. "Please allow me to introduce my mother, Nodoka Mitamura."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am" I said. "I'm Edogawa, and I serve on the student council with your daughter."

We exchanged bows, and I made sure to make mine deeper than hers.

"The pleasure is mine, Edogawa-san," Nodoka-san said. "I trust that Reiko is not causing you any trouble?"

"Not at all," I said. "She's a very competent student council president."

"I should hope so," Nodoka-san said. "The presidency is a privilege as well as a responsibility, one that she must be worthy of. While at Talent High School, she represents our family and her previous school, and must play her part well."

"I'm sure she does," I said.

Nodoka-san nodded, but didn't seem entirely convinced, and the conversation shifted to student council work. Eventually, Nodoka-san excused herself, leaving Mitamura-san alone with me.

"Is something on your mind, Edogawa-san?" Mitamura-san said once her mother was out of earshot.

"I was just thinking about your mother," I said. "She seems rather strict, and even cold. It seems as though she doesn't fully believe you can meet her expectations."

"My mother may be strict," Mitamura-san said, "but she has high standards of me _because_ she believes I can meet them. If she had no faith in my abilities, she would not expect anything of me."

"I guess," I said. "Of course, it does seem rather hard to live up to those standards."

"As it should be," Mitamura-san said. "If they were easy to meet, I would not have to exert my full efforts or improve myself."

Mitamura-san soon changed the subject and asked me a little about my father. While she responded to my description of him with polite interest, it was clear that our families were very different. I'd always thought of Father as strict, but Mitamura-san's parents were in an entirely different league.

I never mentioned Mother, apart from saying that she'd passed away when I was young, but I realized that if Father was not like the Mitamuras, Mother was as different from them as night and day. At the time of her death, she realized my sister was not a very good student or police officer material, and didn't mind in the slightest. Perhaps she'd have been proud of my becoming a writer, but if I'd failed, she would have consoled me.

I'd considered telling Mitamura-san this, but I doubted she would have cared to hear it. She'd lived her life setting high standards for herself, and it was unlikely that she'd change her worldview at this point. In fact, she must have realized that my parents weren't like hers; the fact that I was a rival to her despite that was probably why she seemed to dislike me. Whatever the reason, she was unlikely to accept pity from an "enemy."

That being said, thinking about Mitamura-san did instill me with confidence that, at the very least, Kaori's mother would tolerate me, so I set out to meet her.

* * *

After I'd finished preparing myself, Kaori found me, her mother in tow. The elder Miura looked much like her daughter, but wore a dark pantsuit.

"There you are, Sae," Kaori said. "I've been looking for you."

"Perfect timing, Kaori...-san," I said. "Is she your mother?"

Kaori nodded.

"Mom, I'd like to introduce my friend, classmate and favorite author, Sae Edogawa," Kaori said. "Sae, this is my mother, Mei Miura."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," I said as we exchanged bows. "Kaori-san told me much about you."

"As did she, Edogawa-san," Mei-san said. "Kaori-san gets along well with others, but she hasn't had many close friends... until she met you. She was rather excited when she told me that you just called her 'Kaori,' so if it's fine with her, you can call her that while in my company."

I replied with a pleasant "Yes, ma'am."

"You're probably wondering why Mom uses '-san' on me," Kaori said. "It's a bit of an odd quirk of hers, since she doesn't see any reason not to be so polite to her family. She called me and my sister 'Kaori-chan' and 'Misaki-chan' until we got into middle school, at which point we got 'upgraded' to 'Kaori-san' and 'Misaki-san.'"

I simply smiled and nodded. Kaori had clearly anticipated that I'd have questions and decided to pre-emptively answer them.

"There's one thing I'd like to know, ma'am," I said. "How would you feel about either of your daughters finding love?"

"My husband and I have considered the possibility," Mei-san said, "since both our girls are nearing adulthood and living on their own, so we'll trust them for now. If either of them brought home a boyfriend, we'd want to have a talk with that boy and make sure they're a reasonably good fit."

So Mei-san not only didn't know about her daughter's sexuality, but hadn't considered the possibility. Kaori probably knew how her mother felt about any number of issues, but homosexuality was unknown territory.

"If you don't mind my saying, ma'am, you don't seem all that concerned," I said.

"I trust my daughters to make the right choices for themselves and their loved ones," Mei-san said. "I also recognize that high school relationships may not stand the test of time, and that in some of those cases, neither partner may be to blame. After all, there's no telling where you, Kaori-san or your classmates may be in a year and a half."

"Quite true," Kaori said. "Sae has excellent grades- second in the class- but unfortunately, whether we get into the same college is as much up to the admissions officers as it is up to us. I'm sure she'll get into a good school, but not whether it's the same one as me; I hope we do, though."

I could only nod in agreement, and said "I hope so, too."

"Still," Mei-san said, "it would be nice if the two of you could stay friends as long as you're at the same school, and possibly even beyond that."

We talked briefly about how Kaori and I knew each other, and I gave an honest account, albeit with certain details omitted. For example, I mentioned that we'd gone to the summer festival together, even if it wasn't our very first date.

"I'll have to get going now," Mei-san said, "since I can't stay here long, and still have to meet your teacher and the other parents. It was a pleasure to meet you, Edogawa-san."

"Likewise, ma'am," I said.

After Mei-san left, Kaori pulled me aside.

"So what did you think?" Kaori said.

"She's a nice person," I said. "I'm glad that she sees us as good friends, if nothing more than that."

"That's right," Kaori said. "Even if you were a boy, I doubt she'd be quick to assume that we were dating, or offer her judgment on our relationship, not when we might end up going separate ways the year after next."

I sighed. I'd heard of various couples who faced problems like this, but never was worried about them... until I ended up in a relationship myself.

"Ah, yes, our futures," I said. "I'm not all that worried about either of us getting into a good school, but it may be difficult to find one that suits your needs."

"My sister's college has a good writing program," Kaori said, "but nothing's set in stone. I'm not sure we ever would have met if not for this school."

"That said," Kaori said, "even if we do go our separate ways, I'll always treasure our time together."

I nodded in agreement, before letting Kaori rejoin her mother. As irresponsible as it could be to live in the moment, perhaps it was the best choice for now. We could spend the next year preparing for entrance exams, and the years after that deciding when and how to tell our parents about our relationship.

* * *

After that, I met a few of my upperclassmen's parents. There wasn't as much to note, apart from that Sayuri-san had been telling the truth about Himemiya-senpai's mother.

That evening, long after all the parents had gone back home, I returned to my room and called Father.

"Once again, Sae, I'm sorry I couldn't make it," Father said.

"I understand, Father," I said. "Your work is rather important, so I don't want to inconvenience you."

"I appreciate that," Father said. "Of course, I also have a job to do as a father."

I nodded.

"In any case, Parents' Day went well," I said. "I met Kaori's mother."

"Ah, Miura-san," Father said. "You mentioned her a few times before. I would like to meet with her some time, although I'm not sure when that would be."

"We stay at the dorms for winter break," I said, "and both of us will be going back home for spring break, so I'm not sure, either."

What I said was entirely truthful, even if the part about spring break didn't go as I'd planned, but I realized that it was also an excuse. I was still a bit worried about how Father would react to meeting my girlfriend.

"Fair enough," Father said. "You and your sister are rather independent, so I trust you to make the right decisions."

As much as I appreciated that, I realized there was a bit of subtext in his statement- he still reserved the right to have an opinion on those decisions. Even though he had been willing to let me write mystery novels, it had taken a while to gain his approval.

"Thank you, Father," I said. "I'm sure you'll like Kaori."

Perhaps that bit of confidence was baseless, but even if it was, it could serve as a stepping stone for the future.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Yet another Japanese school ritual gets shown here. It also gives Edogawa a chance to meet her girlfriend's mother, even if neither of them is ready to come out of the closet just yet.

You may notice the rather limited section of parents shown here, but there are a few reasons for that.

*First, start with all the parents who are alive right now (exceptions include Edogawa's mother, Hoshino's mother, both of Tsukimura's parents) and are available (Mihama's father is in prison).

*Second, take away everyone who has a job and can't take time away to attend Parents' Day. Edogawa's father is busy with his job as a detective, while Nagato's mother is already at the event, but as a teacher.

*Third, subtract those who aren't able to travel far enough on short notice. Iwasawa's parents are the most shining example.

*Fourth, rule out those who, like Akasaka's parents, have other Parents' Days at the same time.

*Fifth, there are those like Yuuki's mother, who end up having to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.

As you can see, Talent High School's Parents' Day is not well attended.

Next up will be the Parents' Day for Class 32, but that may not be for a while. I'm planning on taking the rest of June off now that I've finished Where Talent Goes On Vacation.

An omake shows a discussion between Miura and Inoue's mothers, referencing a difference in cultural attitudes that their children spoke about in Chapter III of Where Talnet Goes To Die.

* * *

 **Omake**

 _Miura's POV_

Shortly before I introduced my mom to Sae, Mom introduced Inoue-kun's mother to me, while Inoue-kun himself stood by. The conversation turned to Inoue-kun, since my talent wasn't worth discussing.

"Anyway, your son is as good as his reputation suggests," I said. "His grades in Japanese and English are the best in the school, and there's no comparison between him and the others when it comes to the other languages he speaks."

"Oh, you're exaggerating, Kaori-chan," Mary-san said. "Shinichi's... not that good of a student."

That was an obvious lie and the four of us knew it. Inoue-kun had placed fifth in the first midterms, fourth in the finals and fourth again in the second midterms. His results were comparable to mine- third, fourth and third, respectively- so that was nothing to be ashamed of.

Inoue-kun felt a bit awkward upon hearing that, and not because his mother was badmouthing him. If I had to describe the look on his face, it would be when you want to say something- namely, that his mother was lying through her teeth- but knew it wouldn't be socially acceptable.

"There's no need for the false modesty," Mom said. "It's obvious to me that your son is talented. He was recognized for his skill with other language even before this school invited him."

"I...I know that, Mei-san," Mary-san said, "as does my husband and, of course, Shinichi himself. But bragging about him would cause us to come across as arrogant."

"So that's what you're worried about?" Mom said. "How you might look to others?"

"That's part of it," Mary-san said. "You never know when something seemingly innocuous might offend someone."

"I can't fault you for that, Mary-san," Mom said, "since a good part of my job involves endearing myself to others, and I have to be mindful of my appearance, manners and other things. However, I think the point of good manners isn't just to make yourself look good, but to also treat others well. I don't say 'please' because it's expected of me, or because it will make the other person more likely to agree to my request, but because people like knowing they're appreciated and respected. Most importantly, of course, politeness involves being willing to accommodate the other person."

Because of this, Mom was fairly relaxed when it came to what degree of politeness she expected of others; as long as other people were reasonably polite with her, she was fine with that. Following that principle, she was somewhat more casual with Mary-san than most of her acquaintances.

"My point is this," Mom said. "You don't have to worry about hurting my feelings or being judged unfavorably for being proud of Shinichi-san."

"Thank you, Mei-san," Mary-san said, "and the same goes for you. Feel free to talk about how amazing Kaori-chan is."

I found the conversation pleasing to hear. If Mom could get along with a woman who'd been raised in a culture that was very different from ours, then perhaps getting her to like Sae wouldn't be too much to ask.


End file.
